New Data from Aura's Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) Water Vapor
The Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) measures the chemistry of the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere. Measuring concentration of water vapor and other chemicals. Approximately 50 percent of the atmosphere's moisture lies within about 1.84 km of the earth's surface, and only a minute fraction of the total occurs above the tropopause.
This animation shows varied concentrations of H2O near the Antarctic pole. Water vapor, clouds, and carbon dioxide are the main atmospheric components in the exchange of terrestrial radiation in the troposphere, serving as a regulator of planetary temperatures via greenhouse effect.
Water Vapor, August 13, 2004
Water Vapor, August 14, 2004
Water Vapor, August 15, 2004
Water Vapor, August 16, 2004
Water Vapor, August 17, 2004
Water Vapor, August 20, 2004
Water Vapor, August 21, 2004
Water Vapor, August 22, 2004
Water Vapor, August 23, 2004
Water Vapor, August 25, 2004
Water Vapor, August 26, 2004
Water Vapor, August 27, 2004
Water Vapor, August 28, 2004
Water Vapor, August 29, 2004
Water Vapor, August 30, 2004
Water Vapor, August 31, 2004
Water Vapor, September 2, 2004
Water Vapor, September 3, 2004
Water Vapor, September 4, 2004
Water Vapor, September 5, 2004
Water Vapor, September 6, 2004
Water Vapor, September 10, 2004
Water Vapor, September 12, 2004
Water Vapor, September 17, 2004
Water Vapor, September 18, 2004
Water Vapor, September 19, 2004
Water Vapor, September 20, 2004
Water Vapor, September 21, 2004
Water Vapor, September 22, 2004
Water Vapor, September 24, 2004
Water Vapor, September 25, 2004
Water Vapor, September 26, 2004
Water Vapor, September 27, 2004
Water Vapor, September 28, 2004
Water Vapor, September 29, 2004
Water Vapor, October 1, 2004
Water Vapor, October 3, 2004
Water Vapor, October 4, 2004
Water Vapor, October 5, 2004
Water Vapor, October 6, 2004
Water Vapor, October 7, 2004
Water Vapor, October 9, 2004
Water Vapor, October 10, 2004
Water Vapor, October 11, 2004
Water Vapor, October 12, 2004
Water Vapor, October 14, 2004
The water vapor color scale
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Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Scientific Visualization Studio
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Animators
- Stuart A. Snodgrass (Global Science and Technology, Inc.)
- Lori Perkins (NASA/GSFC)
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Scientist
- Mark Schoeberl (NASA/GSFC)
Release date
This page was originally published on Tuesday, December 14, 2004.
This page was last updated on Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 10:00 PM EST.
Missions
This visualization is related to the following missions:Series
This visualization can be found in the following series:Datasets used in this visualization
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Water Vapor [Aura: MLS]
ID: 263
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.