MERRA-2 M2SMNXEDI: Monthly Extreme Weather Indices from 1980-Present

M2SMNXEDI is a monthly data collection of extreme detection indices derived from NASA's MERRA-2 global atmospheric reanalysis. The dataset covers the period from January 1980 to the present and is computed based on a 1991-2020 climatology. It is produced by the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office using the Goddard Earth Observing System Model.

Use Cases

• Analyzing heatwave frequency and intensity based on temperature extreme indices
• Studying cold spell duration and severity based on temperature extreme indices
• Monitoring dry day and wet day patterns based on precipitation extreme indices
• Climate trend analysis based on a consistent reanalysis model from 1980-present

Strengths

• Based on the latest NASA MERRA-2 global atmospheric reanalysis
• Computed using a modern 1991-2020 climatology baseline
• Covers a long temporal range from January 1980 to present

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

Derived from daily Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2) datasets

Time Range

January 1980 to present

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:52:50.902779; freshness should be verified

Geography

Global