MPLNETThe NASA Micro-Pulse Lidar NetworkNational Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Goddard Space
Flight Center

MPLNET Operations


Links to MPLNET operational information:


Operations News: December 20, 2019

We have completed development of the new Version 3 processing system. All data from the past 20 years will be reprocessed in Version 3. The V3 reprocessing is expected to continue well into 2020 before we are finished. The V3 data download link will be made public by Spring 2020. See the V3 Reprocessing Status page for current reprocessing updates.


Operations News: September 25, 2018

Version 3 recalibrations and reprocessing will begin soon. Browse imagery will remain available, but V3 downloads will not be available until later this year. Version 2 data are being translated into Version 3 file formats and reprocessed now. The sections below contain more details on these activities. See our MPLNET product information page for more details on our V3 and V2 Products. See our MPLNET version information page for more details on MPLNET version history.


MPLNET Version 2:

All older V2 data have been translated into V3 file formats according to the mapping plan available on the MPLNET product information page. All V2 data are available from the download portal. The link below contains a table of available V2 data by year/site.

NOTE: processing status "DONE" indicates that the archived data exist and have been reprocessed. "DONE" does not necessarily mean data are available for download. Final calibrations may not have been possible/applied, or some other problem exists preventing the data from being downloaded. Plots of all data are still visible in the data browser.

V2 Data Availability


MPLNET Version 3:

Calibration techniques and methodology for polarized MPLs
We have finalized all Version 3 calibration techniques and methodology. All calibrations will be applied to Level 1 and 1.5 signal data (NRB) except corrections for instrument temperature. Level 1.5 will be real-time QA screening like AERONET Version 3. Level 2 data will not be produced with automated code, but only upon request (like in V2). Level 2 will include temperature corrections (if needed) and possibly post-calibration.

Version 3 product suite

  • Product list, and variables and quality flags for each product
    This step is done for NRB, cloud (CLD), and aerosol (AER) products. The PBL product is still in development/testing, and will be released later.

  • File formats and content for all products
    This step is done for NRB, cloud (CLD), and aerosol (AER) products. The PBL product is still in development/testing, and will be released later.

  • Processing code for all products
    We are done with processing code for Level 1 products, and will be done with Level 1.5 processing code in about a week. (PBL product exception)

  • Forward data processing and reprocessing of older data to V3
    We will begin to recalibrate and reprocess all V3 data starting in Oct or Nov time period. We will begin with forward processing of existing sites, and work backwards. It will take a long time to reprocess all data. In the meantime, you’ll have access to older V2 data up to 2016.


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