MERRA-2: 3-Hourly Global Atmospheric Reanalysis at Model Levels

MERRA-2 is a global atmospheric reanalysis dataset produced by NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office. It provides assimilated meteorological fields, such as temperature, wind components, and water vapor, across 72 model layers at a 0.625 x 0.5 degree resolution. The dataset covers the period from 1980 to the present and is updated with a latency of approximately three weeks after the end of each month.

Use Cases

• Analyzing atmospheric temperature trends based on assimilated temperature data across 72 layers
• Modeling global wind patterns based on assimilated wind component fields
• Studying water vapor distribution and its role in climate based on assimilated water vapor data
• Investigating vertical atmospheric dynamics based on assimilated vertical pressure velocity
• Assessing layer-specific atmospheric properties based on assimilated layer height data

Strengths

• Provides data at 72 model layers, offering detailed vertical resolution
• Covers a long temporal range from 1980 to the present
• Offers a spatial resolution of 0.625 x 0.5 degrees
• Is produced by NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) using the GEOS model

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data has a latency of approximately three weeks after the end of each month

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Assimilated using the Goddard Earth Observing System Model (GEOS) version 5.12.4 by NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office.

Time Range

1980-present

Freshness

Updated with a latency of ~3 weeks after the end of a month; last metadata update was 2026-03-13.

Geography

Global