MERRA-2: 3-Hourly Turbulence Diagnostics at Model Layer Edges

1980-present turbulence diagnostics from NASA's MERRA-2 atmospheric reanalysis. The dataset consists of 3-dimensional, 3-hourly time-averaged data at 73 model layer edges, including parameters like total scalar and momentum diffusivity. It is produced by NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office using the GEOS model version 5.12.4.

Use Cases

• Model atmospheric turbulence processes based on total scalar diffusivity.
• Analyze momentum transfer in the atmosphere based on total momentum diffusivity.
• Validate or calibrate atmospheric models using assimilated turbulence diagnostics.
• Study temporal evolution of turbulence parameters based on 3-hourly time-averaged data.

Strengths

• Long temporal coverage from 1980 to the present.
• High-resolution 3-hourly time-averaged data.
• Data assimilated from NASA's latest global atmospheric reanalysis (MERRA-2).

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO)

Collection Method

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

Time Range

1980-present

Freshness

Updated with a latency of ~3 weeks after the end of a month.

Geography

Global