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The MLS CH3Cl Product
Basic Information
Methyl chloride (chloromethane, CH3Cl) is the most abundant chlorine-containing compound in the atmosphere. As the largest natural source of stratospheric chlorine, CH3Cl contributed 16% of the stratospheric total inorganic chlorine budget in 2000 and thus accounts for a significant fraction of chlorine-catalyzed ozone destruction. Known sources of CH3Cl emissions are predominantly natural, although biomass burning (most of which is human-induced) was recently estimated to account for nearly 25% of its global source strength.
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How it is part of MLS Science Objectives
The importance of CH3Cl is expected to increase in the future as emission controls alter the relative contributions from natural and anthropogenic halogen sources. Moreover, since CH3Cl emissions from many natural sources vary depending on environmental conditions, changes in global climate and land use patterns may increase CH3Cl fluxes, potentially offsetting some of the projected decline in stratospheric chlorine and delaying ozone recovery.
Thus the MLS CH3Cl measurements will establish a baseline against which the future stratospheric CH3Cl burden may be assessed.
How EOS MLS measures CH3Cl
The standard methyl chloride product is taken from the 640 GHz (Core+R4A) retrieval.
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CH3Cl Information from the Spectroscopy Database
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Quick Proudct Information for data version v3.3
This product should not be used without significant discussion with the MLS team
- Swath Name: CH3Cl
- Vertical Resolution: 4 - 10 km
- Useful Range: 147 - 4.6 hPa
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- DAAC Short Name: ML2CH3CL
- Precision: +/- 100 pptv
- Quality Threshold: 1.3
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v3.3 CH3Cl Averaging Kernel
colored lines are individual kernels; thick dashed line is full width at half maximum, thick solid is integrated kernel value
Publications related to the MLS CH3Cl data product
2011
- Pumphrey, H.C., "Microwave Limb Sounder observations of biomass-burning products from the Australian bush fires of February 2009", vol doi:10.5194/acp-11-6285-2011, num 11, pgs. 2, 2011. Reprint
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