Aura MLS
OH
Contact: Luis Millan
OH is one of the most chemically-active, and important, molecules in atmospheric chemistry. It is known for its role in controlling middle atmospheric ozone through catalytic reaction cycles that effectively destruct ozone.
OH is mainly produced through photochemistry in the UV region. The primary OH source in the stratosphere is ozone photolysis followed by the reaction with water vapor.
In the mesosphere, direct water vapor photolysis is a major OH source. Due to its short chemical lifetime, OH is generally not affect by transport. It responds rapidly to changes in solar UV radiation and displays diurnal, seasonal, latitudinal, and solar cycle variabilities.
How it is part of MLS Science Objectives
MLS makes the first global measurements of OH during both day and night, which provides needed new information on middle atmospheric hydrogen chemistry that affects ozone.
Lack of long-term global OH measurements has previously been a major limitation in constraining models of stratospheric chemistry.
MLS OH measurements make it possible to study the global distribution and variability of OH, to provide observational evidence of OH response to solar cycle, to pinpoint the altitudes of the distinct nighttime OH layer, and to directly investigate OH changes and impacts during solar energetic particle (SEP) events.
How EOS MLS measures OH
The standard product for OH is taken from the 2.5 THz retrieval. OH has been validated using the balloon-borne FIRS-2 and BOH instruments (for vertical profile shape) [Pickett et al., 2006 , 2008 ] and the ground-based FTUVS instrument (for long-term column variability) [ Wang et al., 2008 ].
The continuous MLS OH data cover from Aug 2004 to Dec 2009. Due to its aging process, the THz sub-instrument of MLS has been in standby mode most of the time after Dec 2009. OH measurements have been limited to one 30-day measurement each year since 2011.
Retrieved concentrations of OH in the mesosphere are sometimes 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.
Positive concentrations in levels adjacent to negative concentrations are likely to overestimate the actual OH concentration, which often lead to a "zig-zag" feature in mesospheric OH vertical profiles.
OH Information from the Spectroscopy Database
Quick Product Information for data version v5
- Swath Name: OH
- Status Flag: Only use profiles for which the Status field is an even number.
- Useful Range: 32-0.0032 hPa
- DAAC Short Name: ML2OH
- Precision: Only use values for which the estimated precision is a positive number.
- Quality Threshold: MLS v5.0x OH data can be used irrespective of the value of the Quality field.
- Convergence Threshold: <1.1
Latest Publications (OH)
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
Winkler, H., T. Yamada, Y. Kasai, U. Berger and J. Notholt
Model simulations of chemical effects of sprites in relation with observed HO2 enhancements over sprite-producing thunderstorms
Winkler, H., T. Yamada, Y. Kasai, U. Berger and J. Notholt
Model simulations of chemical effects of sprites in relation withsatellite observations
Häkkilä, T., P. Verronen, L. Millán, M. Szeląg, N. Kalakoski and A. Kero
Odd hydrogen response thresholds for indication of solar proton and electron impact in the mesosphere and stratosphere
Schwartz, M., M. Santee, H. Pumphrey, G. Manney, A. Lambert, N. Livesey, L. Millán, J. Neu, W. Read and F. Werner
Australian New Year's PyroCb Impact on Stratospheric Composition
Arsenovic, P., A. Damiani, E. Rozanov, B. Funke, A. Stenke and T. Peter
Reactive nitrogen NOy and ozone responses to energetic electron precipitation during Southern Hemisphere winter
Zawedde, A., H.N. Tyssøy, J. Stadsnes and M. Sandanger
Are EEP Events Important for the Tertiary Ozone Maximum?
Kulikov, M., A. Nechaev, M. Belikovich, T. Ermakova and A. Feigin
Technical note: Evaluation of the simultaneous measurements of mesospheric OH, HO2, and O3 under a photochemical equilibrium assumption - a statistical approach
Zawedde, A., H.N. Tyssøy, J. Stadsnes and M. Sandanger
The Impact of Energetic Particle Precipitation on Mesospheric OH - Variability of the Sources and the Background Atmosphere
Hegglin, M., S. Tegtmeier, J. Anderson, A. Bourassa, S. Brohede, D. Degenstein, L. Froidevaux, B. Funke, J. Gille, A. Jones, Y. Kasai, E. Kyrola, J. Lumpe, J. Neu, E. Remsberg, A. Rozanov, M. Toohey, J. Urban, T. von Clarmann, K.A. Walker and R. Wang
The SPARC Data Initiative: Assessment of stratospheric trace gas and aerosol climatologies from satellite limb sounders
Li, K., Q. Zhang, S. Wang, S. Sander and Y. Yung
Resolving the Model-Observation Discrepancy in the Mesospheric and Stratospheric HOx Chemistry
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
Andersson, M.E., P.T. Verronen, D.R. Marsh, S.M. Paivarinta and J.M.C. Plane
WACCM-D-Improved modeling of nitric acid and active chlorine during energetic particle precipitation
Verkhoglyadova, O.P., J.M. Wissing, S. Wang, M.B. Kallenrode and G.P. Zank
Nighttime mesospheric hydroxyl enhancements during SEP events and accompanying geomagnetic storms: Ionization rate modeling and Aura satellite observations
Zawedde, A., H.N. Tyssøy, R. Hibbins, P. Espy, L. Ødegaard, M. Sandanger and J. Stadsnes
The impact of energetic electron precipitation on mesospheric hydroxyl during a year of solar minimum
Fytterer, T., M.L. Santee, M. Sinnhuber and S. Wang
The 27 day solar rotational effect on mesospheric nighttime OH and O3 observations induced by geomagnetic activity
Sonkaew, T. and R. Macatangay
Determining relationships and mechanisms between tropospheric ozone column concentrations and tropical biomass burning in Thailand and its surrounding regions
Andersson, M.E., P.T. Verronen, C.J. Rodger, M.A. Clilverd and S. Wang
Longitudinal hotspots in the mesospheric OH variations due to energetic electron precipitation.
Hassler, B., I. Petropavlovskikh, J. Staehelin, T. August, P.K. Bhartia, C. Clerbaux, D. Degenstein, M.D. Mazière, B.M. Dinelli, A. Dudhia, G. Dufour, S.M. Frith, L. Froidevaux, S. Godin-Beekmann, J. Granville, N.R.P. Harris, K. Hoppel, D. Hubert, Y. Kasai, M.J. Kurylo, E. Kyrölä, J.C. Lambert, P.F. Levelt, C.T. McElroy, R.D. McPeters, R. Munro, H. Nakajima, A. Parrish, P. Raspollini, E.E. Remsberg, K.H. Rosenlof, A. Rozanov, T. Sano, Y. Sasano, M. Shiotani, H.G.J. Smit, G. Stiller, J. Tamminen, D.W. Tarasick, J. Urban, R.J.d. van A, J.P. Veefkind, C. Vigouroux, T. von Clarmann, C. von Savigny, K.A. Walker, M. Weber, J. Wild and J.M. Zawodny
Past changes in the vertical distribution of ozone - Part 1: Measurement techniques, uncertainties and availability
Verkhoglyadova, O.P., S. Wang, M.G. Mlynczak, L.A. Hunt and G.P. Zank
Effects of two large solar energetic particle events on middle atmosphere nighttime odd hydrogen and ozone content: Aura/MLS and TIMED/SABER measurements
Verkhoglyadova, O.P. and S. Wang
Middle Atmosphere Response to Large SEP Events: September 2005 Event
Outstanding Problems in Heliophysics: From Coronal Heating to the Edge of the Heliosphere 2014Medvedeva, I., A. Semenov, V. Perminov, A. Beletsky and A. Tatarnikov
Comparison of ground-based OH temperature data measured at Irkutsk 52°N, 103°E and Zvenigorod 56°N, 37°E stations with Aura MLS v3.3
Shapiro, A.V., E.V. Rozanov, A.I. Shapiro, T.A. Egorova, J. Harder, M. Weber, A.K. Smith, W. Schmutz and T. Peter
The role of the solar irradiance variability in the evolution of the middle atmosphere during 2004-2009
Wang, S., K.F. Li, T.J. Pongetti, S.P. Sander, Y.L. Yung, M.C. Liang, N.J. Livesey, M.L. Santee, J.W. Harder, M. Snow and F.P. Mills
Midlatitude atmospheric OH response to the most recent 11-y solar cycle
Andersson, M.E., P.T. Verronen, S. Wang, C.J. Rodger, M.A. Clilverd and B.R. Carson
Precipitating radiation belt electrons and enhancements of mesospheric hydroxyl durign 2004-2009
Shapiro, A.V., E. Rozanov, A.I. Shapiro, S. Wang, T. Egorova, W. Schmutz and Th. Peter
Signature of the 27-day solar rotation cycle in mesospheric OH and H2O observed by the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder
Jackman, C.H., D.R. Marsh, F.M. Vitt, R.G. Roble, C.E. Randall, P.F. Bernath, B. Funke, M. Lopez-Puertas, S. Versick, G.P. Stiller, A.J. Tylka and E.L. Flemming
Northern Hemisphere atmospheric influence of the solar proton events and ground level enhancement in January 2005
Minschwaner, K.R., G.L. Manney, S.H. Wang and R.S. Harwood
Hydroxyl in the stratosphere and mesosphere - Part 1: Diurnal variability
Sovde, O.A., Y.J. Orsolini, D.R. Jackson, F. Stordal, I.S.A. Isaksen and B. Rognerud
Estimation of Arctic O3 loss during winter 2006/2007 using data assimilation and comparison with a chemical transport model
Verronen, P.T., C.J. Rodger, M.A. Clilverd and S.H. Wang
First evidence of mesospheric hydroxyl response to electron precipitation from the radiation belts
Wu, L., H. Su and J.H. Jiang
Regional simulations of deep convection and biomass burning over South America: 1. Model evaluations using multiple satellite data sets
Damiani, A., M. Storini, C. Rafanelli and P. Diego
The hydroxyl radical as an indicator of SEP fluxes in the high-latitude terrestrial atmosphere
Damiani, A., M. Storini, M.L. Santee and S. Wang
Variability of the nighttime OH layer and mesospheric ozone at high latitudes during northern winter: influence of meteorology
Englert, C.R., M.H. Stevens, D.E. Siskind, J.M. Harlander and F.L. Roesler
Spatial Heterodyne Imager for Meospheric Radicals on STPSat-1
Minschwaner, K., G.L. Manney, N.J. Livesey, H.C. Pumphrey, H.M. Pickett, L. Froidevaux, A. Lambert, M.J. Schwartz, P.F. Bernath, K.A. Walker and C.D. Boone
The photochemistry of carbon monoxide in the stratosphere and mesosphere evaluated from observations by the Microwave Limb Sounder on the Aura satellite
Wargan, K., S. Pawson, I. Stajner and V. Thouret
Spatial structure of assimilated ozone in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere
Damiani, A., M. Storini, M. Laurenza and C. Rafanelli
Solar particle effects on minor components of the Polar atmosphere
Englert, C.R., M.H. Stevens, D.E. Siskind, J.M. Harlander, F.L. Roesler, H.M. Pickett, C. von Savigny and A.J. Kochenash
First results from the Spatial Heterodyne Imager for Mesospheric Radicals (SHIMMER): Diurnal variation of mesospheric hydroxyl
Pickett, H.M., B.J. Drouin, T. Canty, R.J. Salawitch, R.A. Fuller, V.S. Perun, N.J. Livesey, J.W. Waters, R.A. Stachnik, S.P. Sander, W.A. Traub, K.W. Jucks and K. Minschwaner
Validation of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder OH and HO2 measurements
Roesevall, J.D., D.P. Murtagh, J. Urban, W. Feng, P. Eriksson and S. Brohede
A study of ozone depletion in the 2004/2005 Arctic winter based on data from Odin/SMR and Aura/MLS
Wang, S., H.M. Pickett, T.J. Pongetti, R. Cheung, Y.L. Yung, C. Shim, Q. Li, T. Canty, R.J. Salawitch, K.W. Jucks, B. Drouin and S.P. Sander
Validation of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder OH measurements with Fourier Transform Ultra-Violet Spectrometer total OH column measurements at Table Mountain, California
Hocke, K., N. Kampfer, D. Ruffieux, L. Froidevaux, A. Parrish, I. Boyd, T. von Clarmann, T. Steck, Y.M. Timofeyev, A.V. Polyakov and E. Kyrola
Comparison and synergy of stratospheric ozone measurements by satellite limb sounders and the ground-based microwave radiometer SOMORA
Mueller, E.R., R. Henschke, W.E. Robotham Jr., L.A. Newman, L.M. Laughman, R.A. Hart, J. Kennedy and H.M. Pickett
Terahertz local oscillator for the Microwave Limb Sounder on the Aura Satellite
Verronen, P.T., C.J. Rodger, M.A. Clilverd, H.M. Pickett and E. Turunen
Latitudinal extent of the January 2005 solar proton event in the Northern Hemisphere from satellite observations of hydroxyl
Canty, T., H.M. Pickett, R.J. Salawitch, K.W. Jucks, W.A. Traub and J.W. Waters
Stratospheric and Mesospheric HOx: Results from Aura MLS and FIRS-2
Pickett, H.M.
Microwave Limb Sounder THz Module on Aura
Pickett, H.M., W.G. Read, K.K. Lee and Y.L. Yung
Observation of Night OH in the Mesosphere
Pickett, H.M., B.J. Drouin, T. Canty, L.J. Kovalenko, R.J. Salawitch, N.J. Livesey, W.G. Read, J.W. Waters, K.W. Jucks and W.A. Traub
Validation of Aura MLS HOx measurements with remote-sensing balloon instruments
Verronen, P.T., A. Seppala, E. Kyrola, J. Tamminen, H.M. Pickett and E. Turunen
Production of Odd Hydrogen in the Mesosphere During the January 2005 Solar Proton Event
Gaidis, M.C., H.M. Pickett, C.D. Smith, S.C. Martin, R.P. Smith and P.H. Siegel
A 2.5-THz Receiver Front End for Spaceborne Applications
Pickett, H.M. and D.B. Peterson
Comparison of measured stratospheric OH with prediction