Short Name:
UARML3AL

UARS Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) Level 3AL V005 (UARML3AL) at GES DISC

The Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) Level 3AL data product consists of daily, 4 degree increment latitude-ordered vertical profiles of temperature, geopotential height, concentrations of O3, H2O, CH3CN, ClO, HNO3, and SO2. The insrument measures in the microwave spectral region at frequencies of 63, 183 and 205 GHz. MLS was flown on NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) and designed to measure the chemical composition of the stratosphere and mesosphere, relationship between chlorine monoxide and ozone destruction. Limb measurements were made in the altitude range between 10 and 85 km at about 2.5 km resolution. Data were collected between latitude 34S and 80N and 80S and 34N, alternating each satellite yaw cycle of about 36 days. The MLS Level 3AL data were processed with the version 5 algorithm, except SO2 which remained version 4. Note: H2O and O3 at 183 GHz data are available only through April 15, 1993 when the 183 GHz radiometer failed. The MLS level 3AL product consists of 9 granules per day. A data granule is one MLS species or subtype per day. Data are on the UARS standard pressure levels (in mbars) given by: P(i) = 1000 * 10**(-i/6) for i = 0, 1, 2, ... Each of the 9 MLS granules is accompanied by an additional parameter file, designated as level 3LP. The parameter file, contains the additional ancillary and quality information, as well as total column amounts not found in the 3AL files. The data files are available in a binary record oriented format.

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