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The MLS OH Product

Contact: Shuhui Wang


Basic Information

OH is one of the most chemically-active, and important, molecules in atmospheric chemistry.
The OH Molecule
 OH molecule visualzation


How it is part of MLS Science Objectives

MLS is making the first global measurements of OH, which are providing needed new information on stratospheric hydrogen chemistry that affects ozone. Lack of global OH measurements has previously been a major limitation in constraining models of stratospheric chemistry

How EOS MLS measures OH

The standard product for OH is taken from the 2.5 THz (Core+R5) retrieval.

Sample OH retrieval
OH Information from the Spectroscopy Database



Quick Product Information for data version v3.3

  • Swath Name: OH
  • Vertical Resolution:2.5km from 32 - 0.01 hPa
    5.0 at 0.003 hPa
  • Useful Range:32-0.003 hPa
  • DAAC Short Name: ML2OH
  • Precision:~6 106cm-3 from 32-14 hPa
    0.5 - 3.3 106cm-3 from 10 - 0.003 hPa
  • Quality Threshold: N/A
Simulations indicate closure for OH to better than 10% of the daytime (ascending) typical OH values. OH is being validated using the balloon-borne FIRS-2 and BOH instruments. Preliminary results for September 23, 2004 for the region of Ft. Sumner, NM show excellent agreement between the FIRS-2, BOH, and MLS instruments [Pickett et al., 2005].1

Retrieved concentrations of OH in the mesosphere are often negative with estimated precisions that are much smaller than the size of the negative excursion. These negative concentrations are likely due to subtle inadequacies in the forward model or due to non-linearities in the retrieval. Use of day-night differences does not help in this case. Positive concentrations in levels adjacent to negative concentrations are likely to overestimate the actual OH concentration.

v3.3 OH Averaging Kernel
OH averaging kernel diagrams

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 OH data product

2011

  1. Jackman, C.H., "Northern Hemisphere atmospheric influence of the solar proton events and ground level enhancement in January 2005", vol doi:10.5194/acp-11-6153-2011, num 11, 2011. Preprint
  2. Minschwaner, K.R., "Hydroxyl in the stratosphere and mesosphere - Part 1: Diurnal variability", num 11, 2011. Preprint
  3. Sovde, O.A., "Estimation of Arctic O3 loss during winter 2006/2007 using data assimilation and comparison with a chemical transport model", vol doi:10.1002/qj.740, 2011. Reprint Preprint
  4. Verronen, P.T., "First evidence of mesospheric hydroxyl response to electron precipitation from the radiation belts", vol doi:10.1029/2010JD014965, num 116, 2011. Reprint Preprint
  5. Wu, L., "Regional simulations of deep convection and biomass burning over South America: 1. Model evaluations using multiple satellite data sets", vol doi:10.1029/2011JD016105, num 116, 2011. Reprint Preprint

2010

  1. Damiani, A., "The hydroxyl radical as an indicator of SEP fluxes in the high-latitude terrestrial atmosphere", num 46, 2010. Preprint
  2. Damiani, A., "Variability of the nighttime OH layer and mesospheric ozone at high latitudes during northern winter: influence of meteorology", vol doi:10.5194/acp-10-10291-2010, num 10, 2010. Reprint Preprint
  3. Englert, C.R., "Spatial Heterodyne Imager for Meospheric Radicals on STPSat-1", vol doi:10.1029/2010JD014398, num 115, 2010. Preprint
  4. Minschwaner, K., "The photochemistry of carbon monoxide in the stratosphere and mesosphere evaluated from observations by the Microwave Limb Sounder on the Aura satellite", vol doi:10.1029/2009JD012654, num 115, 2010. Reprint Preprint
  5. Wargan, K., "Spatial structure of assimilated ozone in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere", vol doi:10.1029/2010JD013941, num 115, 2010. Preprint

2008

  1. Damiani, A., "Solar particle effects on minor components of the Polar atmosphere", num 26, pgs. 2, 2008. Reprint Preprint
  2. Englert, C.R., "First results from the Spatial Heterodyne Imager for Mesospheric Radicals (SHIMMER): Diurnal variation of mesospheric hydroxyl", vol doi:10.1029/2008GL035420, num 35, 2008. Reprint Preprint
  3. Pickett, H.M., "Validation of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder OH and HO2 measurements", vol doi:10.1029/2007JD008775, num 113, 2008. Reprint Preprint
  4. Roesevall, J.D., "A study of ozone depletion in the 2004/2005 Arctic winter based on data from Odin/SMR and Aura/MLS", vol doi:10.1029/2007JD009560, num 113, 2008. Preprint
  5. Wang, S., "Validation of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder OH measurements with Fourier Transform Ultra-Violet Spectrometer total OH column measurements at Table Mountain, California", vol doi:10.1029/2008JD009883, num 113, 2008. Reprint Preprint

2007

  1. Hocke, K., "Comparison and synergy of stratospheric ozone measurements by satellite limb sounders and the ground-based microwave radiometer SOMORA", num 7, 2007. Reprint Preprint
  2. Mueller, E.R., "Terahertz local oscillator for the Microwave Limb Sounder on the Aura Satellite", num 46, pgs. no. 22, 2007. Preprint
  3. Verronen, P.T., "Latitudinal extent of the January 2005 solar proton event in the Northern Hemisphere from satellite observations of hydroxyl", num 25, 2007. Preprint

2006

  1. Canty, T., "Stratospheric and Mesospheric HOx: Results from Aura MLS and FIRS-2", vol doi:10.1029/2006GL025964, num 33, 2006. Reprint Preprint
  2. Pickett, H.M., "Microwave Limb Sounder THz Module on Aura", num 44, pgs. no. 5, 2006. Preprint
  3. Pickett, H.M., "Observation of Night OH in the Mesosphere", vol doi:10.1029/2006GL026910, num 33, 2006. Preprint
  4. Pickett, H.M., "Validation of Aura MLS HOx measurements with remote-sensing balloon instruments", vol doi:10.1029/2005GL024048, num 33, 2006. Reprint Preprint
  5. Verronen, P.T., "Production of Odd Hydrogen in the Mesosphere During the January 2005 Solar Proton Event", vol doi:10.1029/2006GL028115, num 33, 2006. Reprint Preprint

2000

  1. Gaidis, M.C., "A 2.5-THz Receiver Front End for Spaceborne Applications", num 44, 2000. Preprint

1996

  1. Pickett, H.M., "Comparison of measured stratospheric OH with prediction", num 101, pgs. D11, 1996. Preprint



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