Global Forecast System Atmospheric Model Grid

Global Lat/Lon grid data from the NCEP Global Forecast System (GFS) model. The dataset contains analysis and 3-hourly forecasts from 96 to 180 hours, produced by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and distributed via NASA Earthdata. The last known update was in December 2015.

Use Cases

• Validate forecast accuracy of surface pressure and temperature fields against observations.
• Analyze the evolution of atmospheric variables like geopotential height across 10 mandatory pressure levels over a 7.5-day period.
• Study global weather patterns using the 0.5-degree resolution horizontal grid with 361 by 720 points.
• Initialize regional climate models with global analysis data from the 0Z, 6Z, 12Z, and 18Z model runs.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage with a consistent 0.5-degree horizontal grid resolution (361x720 points).
• Provides forecast data at 3-hour intervals from 96 to 180 hours (4 to 7.5 days) for temporal analysis.
• Includes vertical atmospheric data across 10 mandatory pressure levels from 1000 to 100 hPa.

Limitations

• Data has not been updated since 2015, making it unsuitable for recent climate or operational forecasting studies.
• The specific file format, size, and exact data schema (columns) are not provided in the description.

Provenance

Source

National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) model.

Collection Method

Numerical weather prediction model output on the AWIPS 230 (G) grid.

Time Range

Model runs from 0Z, 6Z, 12Z, and 18Z; forecasts cover 96 to 180 hours.

Freshness

Last updated in December 2015; model runs were produced four times daily (0Z, 6Z, 12Z, 18Z).

Geography

Global coverage with a latitude/longitude grid.