Aura MLS Monthly Methyl Chloride Mixing Ratios on Assorted Grids

Near-global (-82 to +82 degrees latitude) monthly binned data for methyl chloride (CH3Cl) mixing ratios. The dataset is produced by NASA's EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument, with coverage from August 2005 to the present. Data is provided on various vertical grids including pressure and potential temperature.

Use Cases

• Analyze lat-lon map vs pressure group data to map global CH3Cl distribution and identify source regions.
• Use lat vs pressure zonal mean data to study hemispheric gradients and seasonal cycles of methyl chloride.
• Investigate stratospheric transport using equivalent latitude vs potential temperature zonal mean data for vortex analysis.
• Calculate trends over time from the time-series of monthly binned averages, minimums, maximums, and standard deviations.
• Correlate CH3Cl levels with other atmospheric parameters using the provided geolocation fields and grid attributes.

Strengths

• Long-term record spanning from August 2005 to current, providing over 15 years of monthly data.
• Near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude at 4° lat by 5° lon resolution.
• Data provided in six distinct group objects (e.g., lat-lon map vs pressure) with statistical fields like average, min, max, and std dev.

Limitations

• Vertical range is limited to between 147 and 4.64 hPa, excluding tropospheric and higher stratospheric measurements.
• Spatial resolution of 4°x5° may be too coarse for regional-scale atmospheric process studies.
• Data quality and interpretation require consulting the specific EOS MLS Level 2 Version 5 Quality Document.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

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

Time Range

August 2005 to current.

Freshness

Updated with current data; coverage is from August 2005 to current.

Geography

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