Aura Satellite Daily Binned Temperature Profiles on Zonal Grids

MLS/Aura Level 3 Daily Binned Temperature on Zonal and Similar Grids V005 (ML3DZT) provides daily averaged atmospheric temperature data derived from Microwave Limb Sounder radiance measurements. Data files contain one year of records, binned into zonal and vertical grids, and are produced by the GES DISC. The data version is 5.1.

Use Cases

• Analyze lat vs pressure zonal mean temperature averages to study global stratospheric thermal structure.
• Investigate vortex average vs potential temperature data to understand polar winter dynamics.
• Use the lat vs potential temperature zonal mean group to examine atmospheric isentropic surfaces.
• Calculate temperature variability trends using the standard deviation and RMS fields within each data group.
• Map near-global temperature distributions from -82 to +82 degrees latitude at 4-degree increments.

Strengths

• Near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Recommended useful vertical range spans 261 to 0.001 hPa with 3-6 km resolution.
• Data includes multiple statistical measures per grid: average, min, max, std dev, and rms.

Limitations

• Specific row count, file size, and total temporal coverage are not provided in the description.
• Data usefulness requires consulting external documentation (MLS Level 2 Version 5 Quality Document).

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

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

Time Range

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

Freshness

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Geography

Near-global coverage (-82 to +82 degrees latitude) at 4-degree latitude zonal increments.