A disk drive includes a rotatable data storage disk, a transducer, and a controller. The transducer is configured to write data on the disk. The controller is configured to receive data from a host device, to measure at least one parameter that is indicative of a time varying characteristic associated with the disk drive, and to write the measured parameter and the data on the disk through the transducer. The time varying characteristic that is measured may include temperature, air pressure, flying height of the transducer relative to the disk, and/or a position error signal (PES) that is indicative of a radial location of the transducer relative to a desired location along a track on the disk. The measured parameters may be embedded within the data that is written on the disk, they may be written in a same track and/or sector as the data, and/or they may be written on a reserved portion of the disk.