ISAMS: Daily Vertical Profiles of Stratospheric Temperature and Chemistry

ISAMS on NASA's UARS satellite captured daily vertical profiles of temperature and eight chemical species from 15 to 60 km altitude using limb-sounding infrared measurements. Data are structured as 10 daily granules, each containing profiles for a specific variable on standard UARS pressure levels. The dataset's unique yaw cycle alternated coverage between 34°S–80°N and 80°S–34°N every 36 days, providing a global view of stratospheric and mesospheric composition.

Use Cases

• Analyzing stratospheric ozone (O3) depletion and recovery trends based on vertical profile data.
• Studying the distribution and transport of water vapor (H2O) and methane (CH4) in the upper atmosphere.
• Investigating reactive nitrogen species (N2O5, NO2, N2O) for atmospheric chemistry modeling.
• Examining temperature structure and aerosol extinction coefficients for climate and volcanic impact studies.
• Validating modern satellite retrievals and reanalysis products using this historical limb-sounding record.

Strengths

• Provides vertical profiles for nine distinct atmospheric variables (temperature and eight chemical/aerosol species).
• Offers high vertical resolution of approximately 2.5 km from 15 to 60 km altitude.
• Features a systematic global sampling strategy with alternating hemispheric coverage every 36 days.
• Data is processed with a consistent algorithm (version 10, except H2O v9) and includes ancillary quality files (Level 3TP).

Limitations

• Metadata is incomplete: column names, row counts, and file sizes are unspecified across all sources.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (1992 and 2026) create uncertainty about dataset maintenance and reprocessing.
• Data is stored in a binary record-oriented format, which may require specialized tools for access and analysis.

Provenance

Source

NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS) instrument on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS).

Time Range

The instrument was operational from at least 1992 (based on one metadata date).

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:18:13.793909

Geography

Global coverage, alternating between latitudes 34°S to 80°N and 80°S to 34°N.