UARS Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) Level 3AT

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Unknown

Publication_Date: Unknown

Title: UARS Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) Level 3AT

Edition: 001

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form:

Series_Information:

Series_Name:

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Publication_Information:

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Online_Linkage: http://mirador.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/mirador/presentNavigation.pl?tree=project&project=UARS&dataGroup=MLS&dataset=ML3AT

Description:

Abstract:

The Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) measured the chemical composition of the stratosphere and mesosphere, primarily to investigate ozone chemistry and the relationship between chlorine monoxide and ozone destruction. MLS measured thermal emissions of ozone (O3), water vapor (H2O), and chlorine monoxide (ClO) in the microwave spectral region at frequencies of 63, 183, 205 GHz. The instrument included the main sensor, spectrometer, and power supply. The sensor consisted of a three-mirror antenna system, three radiometers (63, 183, and 205 GHz), the multiplexing optics, and the calibration system. Vertical resolution is about 4 km for chemical species profiles. Horizontal (cross-track) resolution is 10 to 30 km. MLS viewed the Earth limb perpendicular to the spacecraft orbital velocity vector, and scanned from ground to 100 km every UARS minute (65.536 seconds). A switching mirror inside the radiometer box selects either the atmospheric signal from the antenna system, the calibration from an internal source, or a zero-reference space view. The signals from the switching mirror are then spatially separated into various spectral bands by microwave optics. The spectrometer consists of filter banks that separate the signal from each band into 15 channels. The resolution of individual channels varies from 128 MHz on the edge to 2 MHz near the center of the spectral line being measured. This resolution is matched to the characteristics of the atmospheric emission lines over the altitude range covered. The MLS Level 3A data products consist of profiles that have been interpolated both vertically and horizontally from the original profiles to standard surfaces and locations defined by the UARS project for all limb-viewing instruments. The Level 3A format is common to all UARS instruments to allow for intercomparison. The MLS Level 3A data products consist of two product types: 1) 3AT - Time-ordered Level 3A MLS data, 2) 3AL - Latitude-ordered Level 3A MLS data. Associated with each Level 3A product is a parameter file (3TP with 3AT files and 3LP with 3AL files), containing additional information on MLS operations for each profile. Level 3AT/TP data products consist of time-ordered profiles and are spaced at intervals of 1 UARS minute, or approximately 495 km along the tangent track. Level 3AL/LP data products consist of profiles at the intersection of the tangent track spaced at intervals of 4 degrees latitude. The MLS Level 3AT and 3AL data consist of five products per day. Each data product (file) is one MLS species per day. The following species are measured: 1) O3_183 - ozone concentrations (ppmv) at 183 GHz, 2) O3_205 - ozone concentrations (ppmv) at 205 GHz, 3) ClO - chlorine monoxide concentrations (ppmv), 4) H2O - water vapor concentrations (ppmv), and 5) TEMP - atmospheric temperature (degrees K). The horizontal resolution is 495-km along-track for the Level 3AT/TP files, and 4 degrees latitude for Level 3AL/LP files. The UARS standard data array is the common data structure used for all Level 3 data subtypes. For MLS the index into the data array corresponds to standard pressure levels given in millibars, with each level at approximately 2.5 km increments.

Purpose:

Not Available

Supplemental_Information:

REFERENCE: Reber, C. A., C. E. Trevathan, R. J. McNeal, and M. R. Luther, The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) Mission, J. Geophys. Res. 98, D6, 10643-10647, 1993. Barath, F. T., et al, The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite Microwave Limb Sounder Instrument, J. Geophys. Res. 98, D6, 10751-10762, 1993. Waters, J. W., et al, Stratospheric ClO and ozone from the Microwave Limb Sounder on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, Nature, 362, 597-602, 1993. Read, W. G., L. Froidevaux and J. W. Waters, Microwave Limb Sounder Measurements of Stratospheric SO2 from the Mt Pinatubo Volcano, Geophys. Res. Lett., 20, 1299-1302, 1993.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 19910918

Ending_Date: 19990728

Currentness_Reference:Unknown

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -180.0

East_Bounding_Coordinate: 180.0

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 80.0

South_Bounding_Coordinate: -80.0

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD SCIENCE PARAMETERS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD PLATFORM

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD INSTRUMENT

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: PROJECT

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ANCILLARY KEYWORDS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO TOPIC CATEGORY

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY > TRACE GASES/TRACE SPECIES

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE > AIR TEMPERATURE

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC WATER VAPOR > HUMIDITY

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC WATER VAPOR > WATER VAPOR

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY > HALOCARBONS AND HALOGENS > CHLORINE MONOXIDE

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY > OXYGEN COMPOUNDS > OZONE

Theme_Keyword: UARS > UPPER ATMOSPHERE RESEARCH SATELLITE

Theme_Keyword: MLS > MICROWAVE LIMB SOUNDER

Theme_Keyword: EOSDIS > EARTH OBSERVING SYSTEM DATA INFORMATION SYSTEM

Theme_Keyword: ESIP > EARTH SCIENCE INFORMATION PARTNERS PROGRAM

Theme_Keyword: UARS > UPPER ATMOSPHERE RESEARCH SATELLITE

Theme_Keyword: CWIC > CEOS WGISS INTEGRATED CATALOG

Theme_Keyword: Atmospheric Chemistry

Theme_Keyword: Chlorine Monoxide

Theme_Keyword: Clo

Theme_Keyword: Daily Data

Theme_Keyword: Eosdis

Theme_Keyword: H2o

Theme_Keyword: Idn_node Gsfc/gsfc_daac

Theme_Keyword: Middle Atmosphere

Theme_Keyword: Mls Level 3a

Theme_Keyword: O3

Theme_Keyword: Ozone Chemistry

Theme_Keyword: Upper Atmosphere

Theme_Keyword: CLIMATOLOGY/METEOROLOGY/ATMOSPHERE

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD

Place_Keyword: GEOGRAPHIC REGION > GLOBAL

Place_Keyword: VERTICAL LOCATION > MESOSPHERE

Place_Keyword: VERTICAL LOCATION > STRATOSPHERE

Temporal:

Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD

Temporal_Keyword: Daily

Temporal_Keyword: Daily - < Weekly

Access_Constraints: Not Available

Use_Constraints:

Not Available

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: JOE W. WATERS

Contact_Position: INVESTIGATOR

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: Mail Stop 183-701, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive

City: Pasadena

State_or_Province: CA

Postal_Code: 91109-8099

Country: USA

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: joe@mls.jpl.nasa.gov

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

Not Available

Logical_Consistency_Report:

Not Available

Completeness_Report:

Not Available

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Not Available

Process_Date: Unknown

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Geographic:

Latitude_Resolution: 4 Degrees

Longitude_Resolution: 4 Degrees

Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal degrees

Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Altitude_System_Definition:

Altitude_Datum_Name: Not Available

Altitude_Resolution: 2.5 km

Altitude_Distance_Units: Not Available

Altitude_Encoding_Method: Implicit coordinate

Depth_System_Definition:

Depth_Datum_Name: Not Available

Depth_Resolution: 2.5 km

Depth_Distance_Units: Not Available

Depth_Encoding_Method: Implicit coordinate

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/GCDC/GESDISC > Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (formerly Goddard DAAC), Global Change Data Center, Earth Sciences Division, Science and Exploration Directorate, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA

Contact_Person: GES DISC HELP DESK SUPPORT GROUP

Contact_Position: DATA CENTER CONTACT

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center

Address: Code 610.2

Address: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

City: Greenbelt

State_or_Province: MD

Postal_Code: 20771

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 301-614-5224

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 301-614-5268

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gsfc-help-disc@lists.nasa.gov

Resource_Description: MLS 3AL

Resource_Description: MLS 3AT

Distribution_Liability:

Not Available

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: Not Available

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Access_Instructions:

DATA CENTER URL

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://mirador.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/mirador/colle...

Access_Instructions:

Get data via GES DISC Mirador

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

ftp://acdisc.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/s4pa/UARS_MLS_Leve...

Access_Instructions:

README

Fees: Not Available

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20070226

Metadata_Review_Date: 20090821

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: JAMES EDWARD JOHNSON

Contact_Position: DIF AUTHOR

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Address: Code 610.2

City: Greenbelt

State_or_Province: MD

Postal_Code: 20771

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 301-614-5121

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: James.Johnson@nasa.gov

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: local time