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

NASA's Global Land Data Assimilation System Version 2.1 (GLDAS-2.1) provides 34 land surface fields simulated by the VIC Land Surface Model 4.1.2. The dataset offers 3-hourly data at a 1.0 x 1.0 degree spatial resolution, covering the period from January 2000 to the present. It is an 'Early Product' stream with approximately 1.5-month latency, forced by a combination of model and observational data.

Use Cases

• Modeling soil moisture and snow water equivalent for hydrological forecasting based on the described land surface fields.
• Analyzing the impact of precipitation forcing on terrestrial water storage based on the GPCP and GDAS input data mentioned.
• Studying land surface energy fluxes and temperature trends using the 3-hourly temporal resolution.
• Assimilating land surface states into weather or climate models based on the data assimilation context described.

Strengths

• Provides 34 distinct land surface variables for a comprehensive view of the terrestrial system.
• Offers high temporal resolution with 3-hourly data points from January 2000 to present.
• Simulated using the VIC Land Surface Model 4.1.2 within NASA's Land Information System (LIS) Version 7.
• Forced with multiple observational and analysis datasets (NOAA/GDAS, GPCP, AGRMET).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for specific ML tasks.
• As an 'Early Product', it uses preliminary forcing data and is superseded by a main production stream.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) via the GES DISC.

Collection Method

Simulated output from the VIC Land Surface Model forced with atmospheric analysis and observational data.

Time Range

January 2000 to present.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:37:52.847487; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage at 1.0 x 1.0 degree resolution.