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Aqua/AIRS L2 Standard Physical Retrieval (AIRS+AMSU) V7.0 at GES DISC

Published by NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/TISL/GESDISC | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Metadata Last Checked: April 13, 2026 | Last Modified: 2026-04-06
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a grating spectrometer (R = 1200) aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. The AIRS combination with the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) constitutes an innovative atmospheric sounding group of infrared and microwave sensors. The AIRS Standard Retrieval Product consists of retrieved estimates of cloud and surface properties, plus profiles of retrieved temperature, water vapor, ozone, carbon monoxide and methane. Estimates of the errors associated with these quantities are also be part of the Standard Product. The temperature profile vertical resolution is 28 levels total between 1100 mb and 0.1 mb, while moisture profile is reported at 14 atmospheric layers between 1100 mb and 50 mb. The horizontal resolution is 50 km. An AIRS granule has been set as 6 minutes of data, 30 footprints cross track by 45 lines along track. There are 240 granules per day, with an orbit repeat cycle of approximately 16 day.

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earth-science-air-quality-atmosphere-carbon-monoxide earth-science-air-quality-atmosphere-tropospheric-ozone earth-science-altitude-atmosphere-geopotential-height earth-science-altitude-atmosphere-tropopause earth-science-atmospheric-chemistry-atmosphere-carbon-and-hydrocarbon-compounds-methane earth-science-atmospheric-chemistry-atmosphere-oxygen-compounds-atmospheric-ozone earth-science-atmospheric-chemistry-atmosphere-sulfur-compounds-sulfur-dioxide earth-science-atmospheric-pressure-atmosphere-surface-pressure

Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel public
bureauCode 
                                            [
  "026:00"
]
contactPoint 
                                            {
  "fn": "Earthdata Forum",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:earthdata-support@nasa.gov"
}
description The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a grating spectrometer (R = 1200) aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. The AIRS combination with the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) constitutes an innovative atmospheric sounding group of infrared and microwave sensors. The AIRS Standard Retrieval Product consists of retrieved estimates of cloud and surface properties, plus profiles of retrieved temperature, water vapor, ozone, carbon monoxide and methane. Estimates of the errors associated with these quantities are also be part of the Standard Product. The temperature profile vertical resolution is 28 levels total between 1100 mb and 0.1 mb, while moisture profile is reported at 14 atmospheric layers between 1100 mb and 50 mb. The horizontal resolution is 50 km. An AIRS granule has been set as 6 minutes of data, 30 footprints cross track by 45 lines along track. There are 240 granules per day, with an orbit repeat cycle of approximately 16 day.
distribution 
                                            [
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    "title": "Original Metadata",
    "format": "ISO",
    "mediaType": "text/xml",
    "conformsTo": "http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gmi",
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    "downloadURL": "https://cmr.earthdata.nasa.gov/search/concepts/C1701805641-GES_DISC.iso19115"
  },
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    "mediaType": "application/octet-stream",
    "downloadURL": "https://airsl2.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/data/Aqua_AIRS_Level2/AIRX2RET.7.0"
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identifier 10.5067/URTYDAGTM548
keyword 
                                            [
  "earth-science-air-quality-atmosphere-carbon-monoxide",
  "earth-science-air-quality-atmosphere-tropospheric-ozone",
  "earth-science-altitude-atmosphere-geopotential-height",
  "earth-science-altitude-atmosphere-tropopause",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-chemistry-atmosphere-carbon-and-hydrocarbon-compounds-methane",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-chemistry-atmosphere-oxygen-compounds-atmospheric-ozone",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-chemistry-atmosphere-sulfur-compounds-sulfur-dioxide",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-pressure-atmosphere-surface-pressure",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-radiation-atmosphere-outgoing-longwave-radiation",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-temperature-atmosphere-surface-temperature",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-temperature-atmosphere-surface-temperature-air-temperature",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-temperature-atmosphere-upper-air-temperature",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-water-vapor-atmosphere-water-vapor-indicators-total-precipitable-wate",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-water-vapor-atmosphere-water-vapor-profiles",
  "earth-science-clouds-atmosphere-cloud-microphysics-cloud-liquid-water-ice",
  "earth-science-clouds-atmosphere-cloud-properties-cloud-fraction",
  "earth-science-clouds-atmosphere-cloud-properties-cloud-height",
  "earth-science-clouds-atmosphere-cloud-properties-cloud-top-pressure",
  "earth-science-clouds-atmosphere-cloud-properties-cloud-top-temperature",
  "earth-science-clouds-atmosphere-cloud-properties-cloud-vertical-distribution",
  "earth-science-ocean-temperature-oceans-sea-surface-temperature",
  "earth-science-surface-radiative-properties-land-surface-emissivity",
  "earth-science-surface-thermal-properties-land-surface-skin-temperature"
]
license https://www.usa.gov/government-works
modified 2026-04-06
programCode 
                                            [
  "026:000"
]
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/TISL/GESDISC",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
spatial 
                                            "["CARTESIAN",[{"WestBoundingCoordinate":-180,"NorthBoundingCoordinate":90,"EastBoundingCoordinate":180,"SouthBoundingCoordinate":-90}]]"
temporal 2002-08-30/2016-09-25
theme 
                                            [
  "Earth Science"
]
title Aqua/AIRS L2 Standard Physical Retrieval (AIRS+AMSU) V7.0 at GES DISC

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