MLS/Aura Monthly Binned Sulfur Dioxide Mixing Ratio on Global Grids

MLS/Aura Level 3 monthly binned data for sulfur dioxide (SO2) mixing ratios derived from satellite radiance measurements. The dataset provides near-global coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude at a 4x5 degree resolution, with a vertical range from 215 to 10 hPa. It is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling global SO2 transport and distribution based on monthly binned averages across pressure levels.
• Analyzing seasonal or long-term trends in atmospheric sulfur dioxide based on the time-series nature of the monthly data.
• Studying stratospheric chemistry and volcanic plume impacts using the vertical profile data from 215 to 10 hPa.
• Validating atmospheric chemistry models against satellite-derived zonal mean and lat-lon map data products.

Strengths

• Data is derived from the EOS Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), a well-established satellite instrument.
• Spatial coverage is near-global, spanning from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.
• Each data file contains multiple statistical views (average, min, max, std dev, rms) for analysis.
• Archived in netCDF4 format, which is compatible with standard scientific data tools.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The description does not specify the exact temporal coverage of the data series.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

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

Time Range

Monthly binned data; specific date range is not provided in the description.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:30:55.555891; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Near-global coverage from -82 to +82 degrees latitude.