Daily Binned Atmospheric Relative Humidity Measurements From Aura MLS Satellite

MLS/Aura Level 3 data provides daily binned measurements of relative humidity with respect to ice (RHI) derived from 118 and 190 GHz radiometers. The dataset offers near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude at 4-degree zonal increments and a vertical range from 316 to 0.0215 hPa. It is produced by the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) from the EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder instrument.

Use Cases

• Analyze lat vs pressure zonal mean RHI averages to study global humidity distribution patterns in the upper atmosphere.
• Use lat vs potential temperature zonal mean data to investigate humidity gradients across different atmospheric thermal layers.
• Examine equivalent latitude vs potential temperature zonal mean groups for vortex-centered studies of polar atmospheric composition.
• Compare vortex average vs potential temperature data to assess seasonal changes in humidity within polar vortices.
• Utilize the provided standard deviation and RMS fields within each data group to quantify measurement uncertainty and variability.

Strengths

• Near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Data is binned at 4-degree latitude zonal increments for consistent spatial analysis.
• Recommended useful vertical range spans from 316 to 0.0215 hPa with a vertical resolution of 3 to 6 km.
• Each data file contains a full year of observations, structured in netCDF4 format with four distinct analysis groups.

Limitations

• Specific row count, file size, and total temporal coverage are unknown from the provided description.
• Data is limited to the vertical range above 0.0215 hPa, excluding near-surface and lower tropospheric measurements.
• The description references a required quality document (Chapter 4, Section 3.20), indicating users must consult external resources for proper error analysis.

Provenance

Source

NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC).

Collection Method

Derived from radiances measured by the 118 and 190 GHz radiometers on the EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) satellite instrument.

Time Range

Data files contain one year of data per file; specific years are not stated.

Freshness

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Geography

Near-global coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.