MERRA-2 Monthly Diurnal Means of Moist Process Diagnostics on Pressure Levels

Monthly diurnal means of 3D atmospheric diagnostics for moist processes, such as convective rainwater source and precipitation fluxes, are provided on 42 pressure levels. NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) produced this data using the GEOS model version 5.12.4. The collection covers the period from 1980 to the present, with data available approximately 3 weeks after the end of each month.

Use Cases

• Analyze the vertical profile of convective rainwater source across 42 pressure levels to study storm development.
• Model 3D fluxes of ice and liquid precipitation from convective and nonconvective processes for cloud microphysics research.
• Validate climate model outputs against the diurnal cycle of moisture diagnostics, time-averaged for each 3-hour interval (e.g., 01:30, 04:30 UTC).
• Investigate long-term trends in moist process diagnostics from 1980 to present for climate change impact studies.
• Assimilate pressure-level data on precipitation fluxes into numerical weather prediction systems to improve forecast accuracy.

Strengths

• Data spans from 1980 to present, providing over 40 years of continuous atmospheric records.
• Diagnostics are provided on 42 discrete pressure levels, offering detailed vertical resolution.
• Time-averaged diurnal data is available for eight 3-hour intervals per day, capturing daily cycles.

Limitations

• Specific row and column counts, sample sizes, and file sizes are not provided in the description.
• Data has a latency of approximately 3 weeks, limiting real-time analysis applications.
• The description notes data reprocessing events with different filenames, which could complicate version tracking.

Provenance

Source

NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) via the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC).

Collection Method

Generated via the Goddard Earth Observing System Model (GEOS) version 5.12.4 assimilation system.

Time Range

1980 to present.

Freshness

Updated monthly with a ~3 week latency.

Geography

Global coverage at 0.625 x 0.5 degree resolution.