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The image below, generated by the GrADS client and later annotated (in orange) to highlight relevant elevations, shows the vertical profile of carbon monoxide(CO) over Beijing for three different dates in the summer of 2008. The amount of CO, reported in units of 1.0e-7 VMR (volume mixing ratio), is shown on the X axis. Atmospheric pressure, in hectoPascals (hPa), is shown on the Y axis. The CO amounts between 200 hPa (lower stratosphere) and 315 hPa (upper troposphere) are measures of pollution. These pressures correspond to elevations of approximately 12 and 9 kilometers above sea level. The plot clearly shows the CO levels measured by the Aura MLS instrument declined over the period examined, indicating improved air quality. The Aura MLS data served by NASA, the standard GrADS OPeNDAP client, and the HDF5-OPeNDAP data handler and prototype HDF5-friendly OPeNDAP client library facilitated quick analysis of Beijing air quality without relying on special-purpose tools or applications. (more on HDF5 OPeNDAP project website)
Last modified: 04/06/2010