High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder
The High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (HIRDLS) instrument provides measurements of temperature, trace constituents and aerosols from the middle troposphere to the mesosphere, with a key attribute of high vertical resolution. HIRDLS will also provide key measurements of atmospheric aerosols and cirrus clouds, as well as unique measurements of sub-visible cirrus.
Cirrus in the upper troposphere
This picture displays the frequency of occurrence of cirrus in the upper troposphere during April 2007 as observed by the HIRDLS and CALIPSO experiments. The gratifying aspect of this graph is that fine spatial resolution features in cloud occurrence are readily apparent in both graphs. This wealth of information on a monthly basis was not available to the research community in previous years due to the lesser number of observations inherent with solar occultation experiments and the coarser vertical resolution of previous experiments. This cirrus is involved in the physical processes which modulate the transport of water vapor into the stratosphere. This geospatial data can be used on a monthly basis to study how cirrus varies in the upper troposphere, a stringent test for global circulation – microphysics models. (Click to view larger image.)
Tropospheric Intrusion Event 2,3,4 April 2006
These plots trace the eastward motion of the low ozone parcel, as well as its deformation.
HIRDLS News
Data version V6 (HIRDLS IDs 6.00.00 and 6.00.10) has been released. This release improves on previously released data products (T, O3, HNO3, CFC11, CFC12, GPH, cloud tops and aerosol extinction) and adds three new level 3 products:
- daily zonal means of daytime and nighttime NO2
- daily zonal means of nighttime N2O5
- daily grids of daytime stratospheric columns of NO2
HIRDLS and MLS have released a new joint product: monthly mean ice water content, V1, based on measurements from both instruments.
HIRDLS Data
HIRDLS data version V6 (level 2 profiles and level 3 gridded products) are available from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Earth Sciences (GES) Data and Information Services Center (DISC). For more information about these products and earlier data versions, please refer to Data products.
The new joint product HIRDLS/MLS ice water content, v1, is also available at the GES DISC.
Documentation
Data Description and Quality, Version 6 pdf.
HIRDLS/MLS Ice Water Content Data Description and Quality, Version 1 pdf.
Data Description and Quality, Version 5 pdf.
Gallery
To view a collection of HIRDLS images, click here .
Research Highlights
Click on the image to access featured research on equatorial waves, gravity waves, and tropospheric intrusions.