Monthly Binned Nitrous Oxide Mixing Ratios from Aura MLS Satellite

Monthly binned nitrous oxide (N2O) mixing ratio data derived from NASA's EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) satellite radiance measurements. The dataset provides near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude at a 4° by 5° resolution, with a useful vertical range from 68.1 to 0.464 hPa. It is produced and archived by the GES DISC.

Use Cases

• Analyze lat-lon map vs pressure group data to map global N2O distribution and variability across pressure levels.
• Use lat vs pressure zonal mean data to study hemispheric and seasonal gradients in nitrous oxide concentrations.
• Examine data within the 'equivalent latitude' vs 'potential temperature' zonal mean group to investigate tracer transport inside the polar vortex.
• Leverage the average, min, max, and standard deviation fields per group to quantify uncertainty and extremes in monthly N2O measurements.
• Correlate vortex average vs 'potential temperature' data with other atmospheric datasets to understand polar stratospheric processes.

Strengths

• Near-global spatial coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Data provided on multiple vertical grids (pressure, potential temperature) with a vertical resolution of 4-6 km.
• Each data group includes statistical fields: average, min, max, standard deviation, and RMS.

Limitations

• Specific row count, file size, and temporal start/end dates are not provided in the description.
• Instrument change from 640 GHz to 190 GHz radiometer in August 2013 may introduce consistency considerations for long-term trend analysis.
• Vertical range is limited to 68.1 to 0.464 hPa, excluding surface and upper stratosphere measurements.

Provenance

Source

NASA EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument, processed and archived by GES DISC.

Collection Method

Derived from radiances measured by the MLS 640 GHz and (post-August 2013) 190 GHz radiometers, binned monthly on assorted grids.

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

Near-global, -82 to +82 degrees latitude, 4° latitude by 5° longitude spatial resolution.