GOZCARDS: Global Atmospheric Temperature Zonal Means on a Pressure Grid

Global atmospheric temperature data from the GMAO MERRA model, spanning from 1979 onward. The dataset provides 1-month Level 4 zonal averages on a 10-degree grid, with vertical pressure coverage from 1000 hPa to 0.015 hPa. It is produced by NASA's Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) and includes derived statistics such as standard deviation and minimum/maximum values.

Use Cases

• Modeling atmospheric temperature profiles based on vertical pressure data from 1000 hPa to 0.015 hPa.
• Analyzing global temperature variability based on zonal means calculated on a 10-degree grid.
• Studying long-term climate trends based on data spanning from 1979 onward.
• Comparing model-derived statistics such as standard deviation and minimum/maximum values with observational data.

Strengths

• Data spans a long temporal range from 1979 onward.
• Vertical pressure coverage is extensive, from 1000 hPa to 0.015 hPa.
• Includes derived statistical information such as standard deviation and minimum/maximum values.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Calculated zonal means and derived statistics from the GMAO MERRA model product DAS 3d analyzed state MAI6NVANA (v5.2.0).

Time Range

1979 onward

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:11:13.592073; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global, zonal averages on a 10-degree grid