UARS PEM MEPS: Daily Medium-Energy Particle Spectra

UARS PEM Level 2 MEPS data provides daily high-resolution spectra of electrons and protons from the Medium-Energy Particle Spectrometer aboard the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. The dataset covers an energy range from approximately 1-5 eV to 32 keV, with measurements from eight directional analyzers mounted on zenith and nadir booms. Temporal coverage spans from October 1, 1991, to August 23, 2005, with spatial coverage limited to latitudes between -57 and +57 degrees.

Use Cases

• Analyzing solar particle event impacts on the stratosphere and mesosphere based on proton and electron flux measurements.
• Studying the spatial and temporal distribution of charged particle precipitation using data from eight directional analyzers.
• Modeling energy input into the upper atmosphere from particle fluxes across the 1 eV to 32 keV energy range.
• Investigating geomagnetic activity effects on particle populations within the -57 to +57 degree latitude band.

Strengths

• Provides a long-term, continuous record of particle fluxes over nearly 14 years (Oct 1991 - Aug 2005).
• Offers high directional resolution with data from eight separate analyzers mounted at specific angles.
• Covers a scientifically relevant energy range (approx. 1 eV to 32 keV) for studying atmospheric ionization.

Limitations

• Spatial coverage is limited to mid-to-low latitudes (-57 to +57 degrees), excluding polar regions.
• Column names and exact data structure are not specified in the provided metadata.
• Data is stored in a legacy network binary format, which may require specialized tools for access and parsing.

Provenance

Source

GES_DISC (NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center)

Collection Method

Collected by the Particle Environment Monitor (PEM) instrument's Medium-Energy Particle Spectrometer (MEPS) aboard the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS).

Time Range

1991-10-01 to 2005-08-23

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:23:54.512059

Geography

Global coverage between -57 and +57 degrees latitude.