Global Atmospheric Temperature Tendency Reanalysis at 42 Pressure Levels

MERRA-2 provides a global atmospheric reanalysis dataset from 1980 to the present with a latency of about three weeks. NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office produced this collection using the GEOS model version 5.12.4. It contains monthly diurnal means of assimilated air temperature tendencies across 42 pressure levels.

Use Cases

• Analyze diurnal cycles of total temperature analysis tendency across 42 pressure levels.
• Model the contribution of dynamics, friction, moisture, radiation, and physics to air temperature tendencies.
• Validate climate model outputs against reanalysis data for pressure-level temperature trends from 1980 onward.
• Study spatial patterns of temperature tendencies at 0.625 x 0.5 degree resolution for specific 3-hour intervals (e.g., 01:30 UTC).

Strengths

• Covers a long temporal range from 1980 to present, enabling multi-decadal climate studies.
• Provides data on 42 distinct pressure levels for detailed vertical atmospheric analysis.
• Offers 3-hourly diurnal temporal resolution within its monthly mean products.

Limitations

• Data has a latency of approximately three weeks after each month, limiting real-time analysis.
• The dataset may undergo reprocessing, creating version inconsistencies as noted in documentation.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Produced using the Goddard Earth Observing System Model (GEOS) version 5.12.4 for atmospheric reanalysis and data assimilation.

Time Range

1980 to present.

Freshness

Updated monthly with ~3-week latency.

Geography

Global coverage at 0.625 x 0.5 degree spatial resolution.