Monthly Hypochlorous Acid Measurements From Aura Satellite

MLS/Aura Level 3 data provides monthly binned mixing ratios of hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a key chlorine species in stratospheric ozone chemistry. The dataset offers near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude with a 4°x5° grid, derived from radiances measured by the 640 GHz Microwave Limb Sounder radiometer. It is produced by the GES DISC organization from NASA's EOS Aura satellite mission.

Use Cases

• Analyzing lat-lon map vs pressure groups to study the spatial distribution of HOCl mixing ratios across the stratosphere.
• Using the lat vs pressure zonal mean groups to examine hemispheric and seasonal variations in HOCl concentrations.
• Investigating vortex average vs potential temperature groups to understand polar stratospheric cloud chemistry and ozone hole formation.
• Comparing ascending and descending orbit profile groups to assess diurnal cycles or measurement consistency of HOCl.
• Applying the standard deviation and RMS data fields within each group to quantify uncertainty in monthly averaged HOCl values.

Strengths

• Near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Data is binned on multiple vertical grids including pressure and potential temperature for flexible analysis.
• Profiles are subdivided by orbit type (ascending/descending) and solar zenith angle (daytime/nighttime) for targeted studies.

Limitations

• The recommended useful vertical range is limited to 10 to 2.15 hPa, restricting analysis to specific stratospheric altitudes.
• Spatial resolution of 4 degrees latitude by 5 degrees longitude may be coarse for regional-scale atmospheric processes.
• Data quality and interpretation require consulting external documentation (EOS MLS Level 2 Version 4 Quality Document).

Provenance

Source

GES_DISC (Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center), NASA.

Collection Method

Derived from radiances measured by the 640 GHz radiometer on the EOS Aura satellite's Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument.

Time Range

null

Freshness

null

Geography

Near-global, -82 to +82 degrees latitude.