TES/Aura L2 Methane Nadir Special Observation V008

TES/Aura L2 Methane Nadir Special Observation V008 contains retrieved methane profiles from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer aboard NASA's Aura satellite, launched July 15, 2004. The dataset provides methane concentration profiles, estimated errors, geolocation, quality flags, and surface characteristics for nadir observations, derived from comparing observed spectra to modeled spectra via radiative transfer algorithms. A single Global Survey consisted of observations along 16 consecutive orbits, performing 4,608 retrievals at the start of a two-day cycle.

Use Cases

• Monitoring global methane concentrations and trends based on retrieved species profiles.
• Validating atmospheric chemistry and climate models using the geolocated, quality-flagged observation data.
• Analyzing surface characteristics and their influence on atmospheric retrievals for nadir observations.
• Studying changes in observation methodology, such as the shift from two to three low-resolution scans after April 24, 2005.

Strengths

• Data collection is complete for the TES instrument, providing a finalized record.
• Each Global Survey provides a substantial volume of data, with 4,608 retrievals per two-day cycle.
• Dataset is hosted on multiple authoritative platforms (NASA Earthdata and Data.gov), indicating importance and reliability.

Limitations

• Column names and specific data structure are not provided in the available metadata, limiting precise understanding of the file contents.
• Metadata shows a conflict in 'last updated' dates (2026-04-09 vs. 2018-01-22), casting doubt on data freshness and maintenance.
• The license is specified only as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms, requiring further investigation for use.

Provenance

Source

NASA Aura satellite, Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) instrument.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via nadir observations, with data processed through radiative transfer modeling and retrieval algorithms.

Time Range

From launch (July 15, 2004) through the completion of TES data collection.

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:38:54.386756

Geography

Global coverage from satellite orbits.