GLDAS-2.1: Global Land Surface Variables at 3-Hourly, 1-Degree Resolution

36 land surface fields are simulated by the Noah Model 3.6 from January 2000 to the present. NASA's Global Land Data Assimilation System Version 2.1 (GLDAS-2.1) combines model and observational forcing data, including NOAA/GDAS and GPCP precipitation. This specific product, reprocessed in January 2020, is a main production stream replacement for previous versions and uses a MODIS land mask to correct inland water representation.

Use Cases

• Modeling global soil moisture and temperature dynamics based on the 36 simulated land surface fields.
• Analyzing precipitation and radiation impacts on terrestrial systems based on combined NOAA/GDAS and GPCP forcing data.
• Studying long-term land surface changes from 2000 to present based on the continuous 3-hourly temporal series.
• Validating other climate or hydrological models based on the assimilated, observation-informed data streams.

Strengths

• Contains 36 distinct land surface fields for analysis.
• Provides continuous 3-hourly data from January 2000 to the present.
• Uses combined model and observational forcing data (NOAA/GDAS, GPCP) for potentially improved accuracy.
• Post-processed with a MODIS land mask to correctly mask inland water bodies.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect temporal bias inherent to the specific forcing models and observation sources used.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Simulated with the Noah Model 3.6 in the Land Information System (LIS) Version 7, forced with combined meteorological data.

Time Range

January 2000 to present

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:38:01.492320; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global at 1.0 x 1.0 degree resolution