Aura MLS

CH3CN

Contact: Michelle Santee

CH3CN is a long-lived pollutant whose atmospheric source is, primarily, biomass burning.

How it is part of MLS Science Objectives

One of the MLS objectives is to quantify aspects of how pollution affects chemistry of the upper troposphere and stratosphere, with consequent effects on climate and ozone layer stability. The MLS CH3CN data will help quantify the extent to which biomass burning might affect upper troposphere and stratosphere chemistry.

How EOS MLS measures CH3CN

The standard methyl cyanide product is taken from the 640 GHz retrieval.

CH3CN Information from the Spectroscopy Database

Quick Product Information for data version v5

  • Swath Name: CH3CN
  • Status Flag: Only use profiles for which the Status field is zero.
  • Useful Range: 46 - 1.0 hPa
  • DAAC Short Name: ML2CH3CN
  • Precision: Only use values for which the estimated precision is a positive number.
  • Quality Threshold: >1.4
  • Convergence Threshold: <1.05

Download Aura MLS CH3CN v5 data

Latest Publications (CH3CN)

  1. Pumphrey, H., M. Schwartz, M. Santee, G. Kablick III, M. Fromm and N. Livesey
    Microwave Limb Sounder MLS observations of biomass burning products in the stratosphere from Canadian forest fires in August 2017
    Atmos. Chem. Phys. doi:10.5194/acp-21-16645-2021, 2021
  2. Fujinawa, T., T. Sato, T. Yamada, S. Nara, Y. Uchiyama, K. Takahashi, N. Yoshida and Y. Kasai
    Validation of acetonitrile CH3CN measurements in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere from the SMILES instrument on the International Space Station
    Atmospheric Measurement Techniques doi:10.5194/amt-13-2119-2020, 2020
  3. Santee, M.L., G.L. Manney, N.J. Livesey, M.J. Schwartz, J.L. Neu and W.G. Read
    A comprehensive overview of the climatological composition of the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone based on 10 years of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder measurements
    Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres doi:10.1002/2016jd026408, 2017
  4. Harrison, J.J. and P.F. Bernath
    ACE-FTS observations of acetonitrile in the lower stratosphere
    Atmos. Chem. Phys. doi:10.5194/acp-13-7405-2013, 2013
  5. Pumphrey, H.C., M.L. Santee, N.J. Livesey, M.J. Schwartz and W.G. Read
    Microwave Limb Sounder observations of biomass-burning products from the Australian bush fires of February 2009
    Atmos. Chem. Phys. doi:10.5194/acp-11-6285-2011, 2011
  6. Cofield, R.E. and P.C. Stek
    Design and field-of-view calibration of 114-660 GHz optics of the Earth Observing System Microwave Limb Sounder
    IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing doi:10.1109/TGRS.2006.873234, 2006
  7. Livesey, N.J., M.D. Fromm, J.W. Waters, G.L. Manney, M.L. Santee and W.G. Read
    Enhancements in lower stratospheric CH3CN observed by UARS MLS fillowing boreal forest fires
    J. Geophys. Res. doi:10.1029/2003JD004055, 2004
  8. Livesey, N.J., J.W. Waters, R. Khosravi, G.P. Brasseur, G.S. Tyndall and W.G. Read
    Stratospheric CH3CN from the UARS Microwave Limb Sounder
    Geophys. Res. Lett. doi:10.1029/2000GL012144, 2001