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MERRA2

MERRA2, or Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2, is a NASA atmospheric reanalysis product produced by the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) using the GEOS-5 atmospheric data assimilation system. It integrates a wide range of satellite and in-situ observations into a unified estimate of the state of the global atmosphere, providing consistent meteorological fields and related geophysical quantities for research and applications.

Coverage and scope: It is global, spanning from 1980 to the present, with data available as 6-hourly

Data access and formats: MERRA-2 outputs are archived and distributed by NASA GES DISC and are available

Applications and limitations: The dataset is widely used for climate variability studies, trend analyses, model validation,

analyses
as
well
as
daily
and
monthly
means.
It
delivers
standard
meteorological
fields
(temperature,
winds,
humidity,
surface
pressure)
and
also
aerosols
and
chemical
tracers
such
as
ozone
and
carbon
monoxide,
along
with
associated
radiative
properties.
The
product
emphasizes
improved
treatment
of
aerosols,
chemistry,
and
radiation,
compared
with
its
predecessor
MERRA.
in
NetCDF,
with
support
for
data
services
such
as
OPeNDAP.
Data
can
be
accessed
on
the
global
latitude–longitude
grid
as
well
as
through
regional
subsets.
Documentation
covers
variable
definitions,
assimilation
details,
quality
flags,
and
product
maturity.
and
evaluation
of
satellite
retrievals.
As
with
any
reanalysis,
MERRA-2
is
subject
to
uncertainties
arising
from
observation
coverage
changes
and
model
physics,
though
its
design
aims
to
provide
a
consistent,
long-term
record
suitable
for
research
and
applications.