TL2H2OLN_7: Global Nadir Water Vapor and Temperature Profiles from TES/Aura

Global atmospheric profiles of water vapor and temperature were retrieved from nadir observations by the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) aboard NASA's Aura satellite. The dataset contains retrieved volume mixing ratios, temperature profiles, surface temperature, and associated error estimates, precision, and vertical resolution data. Each standard product file covers a global survey of up to 16 consecutive orbits, with approximately 3,200 retrievals performed per survey.

Use Cases

• Analyzing global water vapor distribution trends based on retrieved volume mixing ratio (VMR) profiles.
• Studying atmospheric temperature structure and variability using the retrieved temperature profiles and associated pressure levels.
• Assessing retrieval uncertainty and vertical resolution for climate models using the provided precision and total error estimates.
• Investigating surface temperature characteristics from nadir observations for land-atmosphere interaction studies.

Strengths

• Provides vertically resolved atmospheric data, including profiles with associated pressure levels, precision, and vertical resolution.
• Covers global spatial scope with observations from up to 16 consecutive orbits per survey.
• Based on a well-documented satellite instrument (TES) with a known launch date of July 15, 2004.

Limitations

• Key metadata is missing or conflicting: column names are unknown, and the last updated date differs between sources (2015-12 31 vs. 2026-04-09).
• Data collection is complete, indicating no new observations will be added, limiting analysis to historical periods.
• The dataset structure is complex, involving multiple files per product (four files for the Nadir standard product), which may complicate data access.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via nadir observations, with retrievals performed by comparing observed spectra to modeled spectra using radiative transfer algorithms.

Time Range

From instrument launch (July 15, 2004) through the completion of TES data collection. Specific end date not provided.

Freshness

2026-04 09 20:24:39.013746

Geography

Global.