Aura Satellite Daily Zonal Temperature Profiles

MLS/Aura Level 3 data provides daily binned temperature measurements from the Microwave Limb Sounder's 118 and 240 GHz radiometers. The dataset offers near-global coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude at 4-degree increments and vertical profiles from 261 to 0.001 hPa. It is produced by the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) from the EOS Aura satellite.

Use Cases

• Analyzing lat vs pressure zonal mean temperature averages to study stratospheric warming events.
• Investigating polar vortex dynamics using the vortex average vs potential temperature group data.
• Calculating atmospheric stability metrics from the lat vs potential temperature zonal mean fields.
• Assessing longitudinal variability and trends by comparing min, max, and standard deviation data across the four group objects.
• Validating climate model output against satellite-derived temperature RMS values on the equivalent latitude vs potential temperature grid.

Strengths

• Near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Vertical profiles span a wide pressure range from 261 to 0.001 hPa.
• Data includes multiple statistical measures (average, min, max, std dev, rms) for each grid group.

Limitations

• Vertical resolution varies between 3 and 6 km, limiting fine-scale atmospheric layer analysis.
• Latitudinal resolution is coarse at 4-degree increments, missing finer regional gradients.
• Useful vertical range is recommended, implying data quality degrades outside 261-0.001 hPa.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Derived from radiances measured by the 118 and 240 GHz radiometers on the EOS Aura satellite's Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS).

Time Range

Data files contain one year of data per file.

Freshness

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Geography

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