ML3MBGPH: Aura Satellite Monthly Geopotential Height Data on Assorted Grids

EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder monthly binned geopotential height data derived from 118 and 240 GHz radiometer radiances. Data coverage spans from August 2004 to the present, with near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude. The data is archived in netCDF4 format by NASA's Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center.

Use Cases

• Modeling atmospheric pressure and temperature profiles based on geopotential height data.
• Analyzing long-term climate trends based on near-global data from August 2004 onward.
• Studying zonal mean atmospheric structures based on the lat vs pressure and lat vs theta data groups.
• Investigating polar vortex dynamics based on the vortex average vs theta data group.

Strengths

• Data version 4.2 indicates a mature, processed dataset.
• Spatial resolution is specified as 4 degrees latitude by 5 degrees longitude.
• Recommended useful vertical range is between 261 and 0.001 hPa.
• Data files contain multiple statistical fields (average, min, max, std dev, rms) for each group.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Derived from radiances measured by the EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder's 118 and 240 GHz radiometers.

Time Range

August 2004 to current

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:02:06.442736; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Near-global (-82 to +82 degrees latitude)