Monthly Atmospheric Moist Process Diagnostics at Pressure Levels

MERRA-2 M2TMNPMST provides 3D monthly mean assimilations of moist processes diagnostics across 42 pressure levels. NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office produced this reanalysis using the GEOS model version 5.12.4. The dataset covers the period from 1980 to the present, with data latency of approximately three weeks after each month.

Use Cases

• Analyze the 3D flux of liquid convective precipitation to model extreme rainfall events and their vertical structure.
• Study convective rainwater source data to validate and improve parameterizations in climate models.
• Use variance parameters for uncertainty quantification in atmospheric moisture and precipitation reanalyses.
• Correlate ice convective precipitation flux with satellite observations to assess model performance in cold cloud processes.

Strengths

• Covers a continuous time range from 1980 to present, providing over 40 years of historical data.
• Provides data on 42 distinct pressure levels, offering detailed vertical atmospheric profiles.
• Produced by NASA GMAO using the GEOS model, an authoritative reanalysis system.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, column details, and file sizes are not provided in the source description.
• Data has a latency of about three weeks, limiting real-time or near-real-time applications.
• Potential for reprocessing changes, requiring users to verify file versions and update records.

Provenance

Source

NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) via GES DISC.

Collection Method

Assimilation of observational data using the Goddard Earth Observing System Model (GEOS) version 5.12.4.

Time Range

1980 to present.

Freshness

Updated monthly with a ~3-week latency.

Geography

Global coverage at 0.625 x 0.5 degree resolution.