TROPESS AIRS-Aqua: Global Methane Vertical Profiles from Satellite

TROPESS AIRS-Aqua L2 Methane for Forward Stream, Summary Product provides the vertical distribution of atmospheric methane (CH4) and its formal uncertainties. Data is measured by the AIRS instrument on NASA's EOS Aqua satellite, processed using the MUSES optimal estimation algorithm. Each daily netCDF file contains global data at 26 vertical levels from the surface to 0.1 hPa with a spatial resolution of 13.5 km.

Use Cases

• Analyzing global methane transport and distribution based on vertical profiles from the surface to 0.1 hPa.
• Monitoring temporal trends in atmospheric methane concentrations using daily global data from 2021 onward.
• Validating atmospheric chemistry and transport models with satellite-derived methane retrievals and formal uncertainties.
• Investigating regional methane sources and sinks using geospatial data with 13.5 km resolution.

Strengths

• Provides vertical profile data at 26 specific pressure levels, offering detailed atmospheric structure.
• Has a defined global spatial coverage and a consistent daily temporal resolution.
• Data is produced by a NASA project (TROPESS) with a named principal investigator (Kevin W. Bowman), indicating institutional provenance.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA Earthdata suggests established importance and accessibility.

Limitations

• Column names and a complete data dictionary are not provided in the available metadata, limiting immediate understanding of the file structure.
• Key quantitative metadata like total file size, row count, and specific license terms are missing or listed as 'unknown'.
• The temporal coverage is listed as 'from 2021-02-01 to present' without a defined end date, which may affect reproducibility for future users.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), TROPESS project, Principal Investigator Kevin W. Bowman.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the AIRS instrument on the EOS Aqua spacecraft, processed with the MUSES optimal estimation algorithm.

Time Range

2021-02-01 to present (ongoing).

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:26:43.921014

Geography

Global.