Polar Stratospheric Cloud and Stratospheric Aerosol Unification Catalog Description

Unification catalogs are separated by hemisphere, year and platform to make them easier to use. SAM II NH catalogs run from 1979 to 1990, SAM II SH catalogs run from 1979 to 1992, SAGE II NH catalogs for both hemispheres run from 1984 to 1999, POAM II catalogs run from 1994 to 1996, and POAM III catalogs currently run from 1998 to 1999.

Unification Catalog Entries

1. Rev Number
   • Unique to each event for SAM and POAM
   • SAGE rev numbers are doy of year, and rev of day
2. Date (yymmdd)
3. Time (UT Secs)
4. Lat
5. Lon
6. Vtx Indicator (i/e/o/n)
   • i: inside Nash vortex middle edge
   • e: between Nash vortex middle and outer edges
   • o: either outisde Nash outer edge, or no vrotex is defined
   • n: no vortex season is defined
7. PSC Indicator (Y/y/n)
   • Y: Enhancement Level > 6 sigma
   • y: 3 sigma < Enhancement Level < 6 sigma
   • n: Enhancement Level < 3 sigma
8. PSC Layer Indicator (Y/y/n)
   • Y: Enhancement Level > 6 sigma
   • y: 3 sigma < Enhancement Level < 6 sigma
   • n: Enhancement Level < 3 sigma
9. PSC Hizmin Indicator (y/s/n)
   • y: PSC hizmin enhancement
   • s: stratospherico hizmin enhancement, no PSC
   • n: no hizmin enhancement
10. PSC Enhancement Level (sigma)
11. Altitude of Enhancement Layer
12. Temperature at Altitude of Ehancement
13. Tnat at Altitude of Enhancement
14. Bottom Retrieval Altitude
15. Tropopause Height
16. Tropopause Temperature
17. Altitude of Profile Temperature Minimum
18. Profile Temperature Minimum