Northern Hemisphere Sea-Level Pressure Grids from 1899

Monthly 5-degree latitude/longitude grids of sea-level pressure provide the longest continuous time series of such data in the DSS archive, starting in 1899. The dataset is maintained by SCIOPS and was last updated in 2015, with historical corrections applied by researcher Kevin Trenberth for the period 1899-1977. It covers the Northern Hemisphere from 15N to the North Pole and continues to be updated as new data become available.

Use Cases

• Analyze long-term trends in monthly average sea-level pressure grids across the Northern Hemisphere.
• Validate climate reanalysis models by comparing simulated pressure fields against this gridded observational record.
• Study atmospheric circulation patterns, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation, using the 5-degree latitude/longitude grid structure.
• Investigate corrections applied to pre-1977 data, as documented in the July 1980 Monthly Weather Review, for data quality research.

Strengths

• Time series begins in 1899, providing over 115 years of continuous monthly data.
• Data coverage spans the Northern Hemisphere from 15N to the North Pole on a consistent 5-degree grid.

Limitations

• Data freshness is limited, with the last documented update occurring in 2015.
• The number of daily observations averaged into each monthly grid varies historically, potentially affecting consistency.

Provenance

Source

nasa_earthdata, originating from UCAR RDA dataset ds010.0.

Collection Method

Monthly grids are simple averages of available daily sea-level pressure grids.

Time Range

1899 to present (continuously updated).

Freshness

Updated regularly as new data become available, but last platform update was 2015-04-30.

Geography

Northern Hemisphere, 15N to the North Pole.