RUC-40 Model Output for Cold Land Processes Experiment

2003-era data from the Rapid Update Cycle version 2 atmospheric model, subset for the Cold Land Processes Field Experiment (CLPX). The dataset is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and represents a Mesoscale Analysis and Prediction System (MAPS) output using the Model Output Reduced Data Set (MORDS) version. It contains modeled atmospheric and surface variables at a 40km resolution.

Use Cases

• Validating and initializing higher-resolution snowpack and hydrological models for cold regions.
• Analyzing the relationship between atmospheric variables like specific humidity, surface pressure, and surface temperature over snow-covered terrain.
• Studying mesoscale atmospheric processes and heat fluxes in support of the Cold Land Processes Field Experiment objectives.

Strengths

• Provides a wide range of modeled geophysical variables, including atmospheric pressure, temperature, winds, radiation, clouds, precipitation, snow, soil, and surface water chemistry.
• Dataset is associated with a specific, well-documented scientific field experiment (CLPX), providing context for application.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData indicates recognized importance and curation.

Limitations

• Key metadata conflicts exist: the last updated date is reported as both 2003-06-30 and 2026-03-13, creating uncertainty about data currency and provenance.
• Critical size, row count, and specific column details are unavailable across all sources.
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without further clarification.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Model output from the Mesoscale Analysis and Prediction System (MAPS) using the Model Output Reduced Data Set (MORDS) version, subsetted for a field experiment.

Time Range

2003

Freshness

2026-03-13 03:16:06.138173

Geography

Spatial coverage subset for the Cold Land Processes Field Experiment (CLPX) region, at 40km resolution.