Daily gridded lower stratospheric temperatures are derived from Microwave Sounding Unit channel 4 measurements. The data uses the Spencer and Christy method with LIMB 93 limb correction based on latitude, longitude, month, and scan angle. The dataset was produced by GES DISC and last updated in 1994.
Use Cases
- Analyze daily temperature trends in the lower stratosphere using the gridded temperature values.
- Validate climate models by comparing simulated stratospheric temperatures against the satellite-derived temperature data.
- Study spatial patterns of stratospheric warming or cooling using the latitude and longitude gridded data.
- Assess the impact of the LIMB 93 limb correction on temperature retrievals across different months and scan angles.
- Investigate temperature anomalies in polar regions using the weighted grid assignment method for data north and south of 66.7 degrees.
Strengths
- Data is derived from MSU instruments on several different satellite platforms, providing multiple sources.
- Uses a specific correction method (LIMB 93) based on latitude, longitude, month, and scan angle.
- Horizontal averaging is applied to fill empty grid boxes, improving spatial completeness.
Limitations
- The dataset's last update was in 1994, making it temporally stale for contemporary climate analysis.
- Specific details on row count, geographic coverage extent, and data resolution are unknown.
- The reliance on a 1990 derivation method may not incorporate modern retrieval techniques.
Provenance
- Source
- GES DISC (NASA's Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center).
- Collection Method
- Derived from MSU channel 4 measurements using the Spencer and Christy (1990) method with LIMB 93 limb correction.
- Time Range
- null
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Global, with a gridded format and special weighted assignment for latitudes beyond 66.7 degrees north and south.