MERRA-2: 3-Hourly Cloud Diagnostics on Pressure Levels

NASA's MERRA-2 reanalysis provides global atmospheric data from 1980 to the present. The M2T3NPCLD collection contains 3-hourly time-averaged assimilations of cloud diagnostics, such as updraft fraction and cloud liquid/ice mass, across 42 pressure levels. The data is produced by NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office using the GEOS model.

Use Cases

• Analyze cloud fraction for radiation calculations based on the 'cloud fraction for radiation' variable
• Model atmospheric water transport based on the 'mass fraction of cloud liquid (or ice) water' variable
• Study convective updraft dynamics based on the 'updraft areal fraction' variable
• Validate satellite cloud observations based on assimilated cloud diagnostics
• Assess long-term cloud property trends based on the 1980-present temporal coverage

Strengths

• Data covers the period from 1980 to the present, providing a long-term record
• Contains assimilated cloud diagnostics across 42 distinct pressure levels
• Produced by NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO), an authoritative source
• Data is available at a 3-hourly temporal resolution starting from 01:30 UTC

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 3 weeks after the end of a month

Provenance

Source

NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO)

Collection Method

Assimilated reanalysis produced using the Goddard Earth Observing System Model (GEOS) version 5.12.4

Time Range

1980-present

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:52:18.044740; freshness should be verified

Geography

Global