Earth  ID: 3100

Nitric acid from new Microwave Limb Sounder on Aura (WMS)

Visualizations by Lori Perkins Released on January 27, 2005
Nitric Acid (HNO3) in the atmosphere as measured by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument on NASA's Aura satellite. MLS can simultaneously measure several trace gases and ozone-destroying chemicals in the upper troposphere and photosphere. In this series of animations we present chlorine monoxide (ClO), hydrogen chloride (HCl), nitric acid (HNO3), ozone (O3), water vapor (H2O) and temperature measurements. These are 'first light' data taken when the MLS was operated for the first time. Nitric acid is created from the nitrogen oxide emitted by automobiles.
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This animation shows nitric acid (HNO3) in the atmosphere from August 13 through October 15, 2004. Red represents high concentrations; blue represents low concentrations. The spatial resolution is low: each pixel covers an area of 5 degrees longitude by 2 degrees latitude, so the entire world (except for 1 degree at each pole) is covered by the 72x89 pixel images.

This product is available through our Web Map Service.
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Color scale for nitric acid concentration. Values shown range from 0.9 to 15.3 ppbv (parts per billion by volume).

For More Information

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/aura_first.html

Visualization Credits

Lori Perkins (NASA/GSFC): Lead Animator
Jeff de La Beaujardiere (NASA): Animator
Mark Schoeberl (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3100

Mission:
Aura

Data Used:
Aura/MLS/Nitric Acid
2004-08-13 through 2004-10-15
view all stories where this data set is used
Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details nor the data sets themselves on our site.

Dates of Data Used:
2004-08-13 through 2004-10-15

This item is part of these series:
WMS
Aura First Light

Keywords:
DLESE >> Atmospheric science
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Atmosphere >> Atmospheric Chemistry/Nitrogen Compounds >> Nitric Acid
GCMD >> Location >> Global
NASA Science >> Earth

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0