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Description

M2IMNPANA (or instM_3d_ana_Np) is an instantaneous 3-dimensional monthly mean data collection in Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2). This collection consists of analyzed meteorological fields at 42 pressure levels, such as temperature, wind components, specific humidity, ozone mixing ratio, and geopotential height. The information on the pressure levels can be found in the section 4.2 of the MERRA-2 File Specification document. The collection also includes certain quadratic information (such as the variance and covariance of certain parameters).

MERRA-2 is the latest version of global atmospheric reanalysis for the satellite era produced by NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) using the Goddard Earth Observing System Model (GEOS) version 5.12.4. The dataset covers the period of 1980-present with the latency of ~3 weeks after the end of a month.

Data Reprocessing: Please check “Records of MERRA-2 Data Reprocessing and Service Changes” linked from the “Documentation” tab on this page. Note that a reprocessed data filename is different from the original file.

MERRA-2 Mailing List: Sign up to receive information on reprocessing of data, changing of tools and services, as well as data announcements from GMAO. Contact the GES DISC Help Desk (gsfc-dl-help-disc@mail.nasa.gov) to be added to the list.

Questions: If you have a question, please read "MERRA-2 File Specification Document", “MERRA-2 Data Access – Quick Start Guide”, and FAQs linked from the ”Documentation” tab on this page. If that does not answer your question, you may post your question to the NASA Earthdata Forum (forum.earthdata.nasa.gov) or email the GES DISC Help Desk (gsfc-dl-help-disc@mail.nasa.gov).

Version Description

The GEOS-5 model version used for processing MERRA-2

Product Summary

Platforms
MERRA-2
Instruments
NOT APPLICABLE
Spatial Extent

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

Spatial Resolution
0.625 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees
Location
GLOBAL
Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
CARTESIAN
Temporal Extent
1980-01-01 to Present
Data Partner
Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (formerly Goddard DAAC), Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory, Earth Sciences Division, Science and Exploration Directorate, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA (NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/TISL/GESDI
Concept ID
C1276812902-GES_DISC
Data State
ACTIVE
Number of Files/Granules
555
Processing Level
4
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Geopotential Height ,
Atmospheric Ozone ,
Sea Level Pressure ,
Surface Pressure ,
Upper Air Temperature ,
Vertical Profiles ,
Air Temperature ,
Specific Humidity ,
U/V Wind Components ,
U/V Wind Components ,
Ozone Profiles

Citation

Citation is critically important for dataset documentation and discovery. This dataset is openly shared, without restriction, in accordance with the EOSDIS Data Use and Citation Guidance.

Copy Citation

Global Modeling And Assimilation Office, & Pawson, S. (2015). MERRA-2 instM_3d_ana_Np: 3d,Monthly mean,Instantaneous,Pressure-Level,Analysis,Analyzed Meteorological Fields V5.12.4 [Data set]. NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/V92O8XZ30XBI Date Accessed: 2026-05-04

Documents

Publications Citing This Dataset

Filters
Title Year Author Topic
Analysis of Path Losses on Terahertz Band for Non-Terrestrial Networks Khan, Bushra, Kokkoniemi, Joonas Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Upper Air Temperature, Vertical Profiles, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles
The Influence of Tropopause Temperature Biases on Climate Model Mahoney, Aidan D., Soden, Brian J., Zhang, Bosong, Vecchi, Gabriel Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Upper Air Temperature, Vertical Profiles, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles, Surface Temperature, Skin Temperature, Atmospheric Winds, Surface Winds, Atmospheric Pressure, Total Precipitable Water, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Oxygen Compounds, Altitude, Boundary Layer Winds
Tropical Pacific sea surface temperature gradient biases shape presentday and future precipitation projections over Southern Hemisphere midlatitudes Wang, Liping, Grise, Kevin M. Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Upper Air Temperature, Vertical Profiles, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles
Interdecadal shift in the impact of winter landsea thermal contrasts on following spring transcontinental dust transport pathways in North Africa Wen, Qi, Li, Yan, Du, Mengying, Song, Wenjun, Wei, Linbo, Wang, Zhilan, Li, Xu Dust/Ash/Smoke, Carbonaceous Aerosols, Organic Particles, Sulfate Particles, Sulfur Oxides, Sulfur Compounds, Sulfate, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulfur Oxides, Dimethyl Sulfide, Aerosol Particle Properties, Particulate Matter, Aerosols, Surface Pressure, Pressure Thickness, Relative Humidity, Sea Salt, Black Carbon, Air Mass/Density, Surface Temperature, Skin Temperature, Upper Air Temperature, Air Temperature, Atmospheric Winds, Surface Winds, U/V Wind Components, Atmospheric Pressure, Sea Level Pressure, Specific Humidity, Total Precipitable Water, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Atmospheric Ozone, Oxygen Compounds, Altitude, Boundary Layer Winds, Emissions, UV Aerosol Index, Gas/Aerosol Composition, Aerosol Extinction, Deposition, Geopotential Height, Vertical Profiles, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles, Terrestrial Ecosystems, LIDAR WAVEFORM, Biomass
Impact of preceding winter ENSO on the following spring Hadley circulation edge Liu, Xuan, Feng, Juan, Li, Jiaxin Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Upper Air Temperature, Vertical Profiles, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles
Extreme Sahelian Rainfall Continues to Rise Despite Stable Storm Spat, Dorian, Biasutti, Michela, Voigt, Aiko Precipitation, Brightness Temperature, Geopotential Height, Altitude, Surface Temperature, Upper Air Temperature, Dew Point Temperature, Air Temperature, Cloud Top Temperature, Atmospheric Winds, Surface Winds, U/V Wind Components, Upper Level Winds, U/V Wind Components, Vertical Wind Velocity/Speed, Atmospheric Pressure, Sea Level Pressure, Cloud Top Pressure, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Specific Humidity, Total Precipitable Water, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Atmospheric Ozone, Oxygen Compounds, Boundary Layer Winds, Skin Temperature, Vertical Profiles, Ozone Profiles, Precipitation Amount, Precipitation Rate, Snow, Rain
How South Asian thunderstormdriven transport affects the atmospheric composition over the Tibetan Plateau and stratosphere Li, Xiaotong, Wu, Xueke, Jia, Ding, Lin, Jiahao, Hu, Yuhang, Huang, Xiaoteng, Luo, Jiali, Hu, Guohao Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Upper Air Temperature, Vertical Profiles, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles, Aerosol Optical Depth/Thickness
Conditions for Troposphere Moisture Filling in the Mediterranean-Black Sea Region Danova, T. E., Yurovsky, A. V. Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Upper Air Temperature, Vertical Profiles, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles
The potential of GNSS radio occultation data for the analysis of the tropical width: a comparison with reanalyses Reiter, Annika, Danzer, Julia, Steiner, Andrea K. Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Upper Air Temperature, Vertical Profiles, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles
Triggers of the Record-Breaking 2023 Canadian Wildfires: Extreme Heat Wu, Dongyou, Zhang, Jinxia, Niu, Xiaoying, Shi, Rui, Wang, Xiaofan, Liu, Jun, Wen, Hui, Zhou, Yue, Pu, Wei, Zhang, Baoqing, Zhang, Daizhou, Wang, Xin Surface Pressure, Heat Flux, Longwave Radiation, Shortwave Radiation, Surface Temperature, Humidity, Evapotranspiration, Surface Winds, Rain, Precipitation Rate, Snow, Soil Moisture/Water Content, Soil Temperature, Land Surface Temperature, Snow Water Equivalent, Runoff, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Wind Speed, Snow Cover, Snow Depth, Aerosols, Aerosol Extinction, Aerosol Optical Depth/Thickness, Angstrom Exponent, Aerosol Particle Properties, Carbonaceous Aerosols, Dust/Ash/Smoke, Organic Particles, Sulfate Particles, Sulfur Oxides, Sulfur Compounds, Sulfate, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulfur Oxides, Particulate Matter, Dimethyl Sulfide, Black Carbon, Sea Salt, PARTICULATE MATTER (PM 2.5), PARTICULATE MATTER (PM 10), PARTICULATE MATTER (PM 1.0), Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Upper Air Temperature, Vertical Profiles, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles, Skin Temperature, Atmospheric Winds, Atmospheric Pressure, Total Precipitable Water, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Oxygen Compounds, Altitude, Boundary Layer Winds, Aerosol Backscatter, Aerosol Radiance, Cloud Condensation Nuclei, Nitrate Particles, Trace Gases/Trace Species, Atmospheric Emitted Radiation, Emissivity, Optical Depth/Thickness, Radiative Flux, Reflectance, Transmittance, Atmospheric Stability, Water Vapor Profiles, Cloud Condensation Nuclei, Cloud Droplet Concentration/Size, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness, Cloud Asymmetry, Cloud Ceiling, Cloud Frequency, Cloud Height, Cloud Top Pressure, Cloud Top Temperature, Cloud Vertical Distribution, Cloud Emissivity, Cloud Radiative Forcing, Cloud Reflectance, Rain Storms
Lightning and Radar Measures of Mixed-Phase Updraft Variability in Tracked Storms during the TRACER Field Campaign in Houston, Texas Bruning, Eric C., Brunner, Kelcy N., van Lier-Walqui, Marcus, Logan, Timothy, Matsui, Toshi Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Upper Air Temperature, Vertical Profiles, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles
Ozone Anomalies in Dry Intrusions Associated With Atmospheric Rivers Hall, Kirsten R., Wang, Huiqun, Souri, Amir H., Liu, Xiong, Chance, Kelly Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Potential Vorticity, Vertical Wind Velocity/Speed, Vertical Profiles, Upper Air Temperature, Air Temperature, Relative Humidity, Specific Humidity, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Altitude, Geopotential Height, Ozone Profiles
Seasonal Coastal Erosion Rates Calculated from PlanetScope Imagery in Cassidy, Galen, Wiseman, Matthew, Lange, Kennedy, Eilers, Claire, Bradley, Alice Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Upper Air Temperature, Vertical Profiles, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles
An emerging aerosol climatology via remote sensing over Metro Manila, the Philippines Lorenzo, Genevieve Rose, Arellano, Avelino F., Cambaliza, Maria Obiminda, Castro, Christopher, Cruz, Melliza Templonuevo, Di Girolamo, Larry, Gacal, Glenn Franco, Hilario, Miguel Ricardo A., Lagrosas, Nofel, Ong, Hans Jarett, Simpas, James Bernard, Uy, Sherdon Nino, Sorooshian, Armin Albedo, Cloud Top Pressure, Cloud Properties, Cloud Fraction, Particle Size Distribution, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness, Aerosols, Aerosol Extinction, Aerosol Optical Depth/Thickness, Angstrom Exponent, Aerosol Particle Properties, Carbonaceous Aerosols, Dust/Ash/Smoke, Organic Particles, Sulfate Particles, Sulfur Oxides, Sulfur Compounds, Sulfate, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulfur Oxides, Particulate Matter, Dimethyl Sulfide, Black Carbon, Sea Salt, PARTICULATE MATTER (PM 2.5), PARTICULATE MATTER (PM 10), PARTICULATE MATTER (PM 1.0), Heat Flux, Air Temperature, Skin Temperature, Specific Humidity, Water Vapor, Precipitation Rate, Snow/Ice, Evaporation, Latent Heat Flux, Latent Heat Flux, Sensible Heat Flux, Diffusion, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, U/V Wind Components, Wind Stress, Wind Stress, Surface Roughness, Planetary Boundary Layer Height, Ice Fraction, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, U/V Wind Components, Potential Vorticity, Vertical Wind Velocity/Speed, Vertical Profiles, Upper Air Temperature, Relative Humidity, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Altitude, Geopotential Height, Ozone Profiles, Surface Temperature, Dew Point Temperature, Cloud Top Temperature, Atmospheric Winds, Surface Winds, Upper Level Winds, Atmospheric Pressure, Sea Level Pressure, Total Precipitable Water, Oxygen Compounds, Boundary Layer Winds
Divergent representation of precipitation recycling in the Amazon and the Congo in CMIP6 models Baker, J. C. A., Spracklen, D. V. Surface Temperature, Skin Temperature, Upper Air Temperature, Air Temperature, Atmospheric Winds, Surface Winds, U/V Wind Components, Atmospheric Pressure, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Specific Humidity, Total Precipitable Water, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Atmospheric Ozone, Oxygen Compounds, Altitude, Boundary Layer Winds, Geopotential Height, Vertical Profiles, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles, Heat Flux, Skin Temperature, Water Vapor, Precipitation Rate, Snow/Ice, Evaporation, Latent Heat Flux, Latent Heat Flux, Sensible Heat Flux, Diffusion, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Wind Stress, Wind Stress, Surface Roughness, Planetary Boundary Layer Height, Ice Fraction, Potential Vorticity, Vertical Wind Velocity/Speed, Relative Humidity
Assessment of PM2. 5 using satellite lidar observations: Effect of bio-mass burning emissions over India Lakshmi, N.B., Resmi, E.A., Padmalal, D. Tropopause, Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Upper Air Temperature, Total Precipitable Water, Water Vapor, Cloud Height, Cloud Top Pressure, Cloud Top Temperature, Cloud Vertical Distribution, Emissivity, Sea Surface Temperature, Skin Temperature, Carbon Monoxide, Geopotential Height, Humidity, Water Vapor Profiles, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Outgoing Longwave Radiation, Methane, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Vertical Profiles, Specific Humidity, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles
Atmospheric circulation constraints on 21st century seasonal precipitation storylines for the southwestern United States Grise, Kevin M. Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Upper Air Temperature, Vertical Profiles, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles
PBL Height From AIRS, GPS RO, and MERRA2 Products in NASA GES DISC and Their 10Year Seasonal Mean Intercomparison Ding, Feng, Iredell, Lena, Theobald, Michael, Wei, Jennifer, Meyer, David Planetary Boundary Layer Height, Tropopause, Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Upper Air Temperature, Total Precipitable Water, Water Vapor, Cloud Height, Cloud Top Pressure, Cloud Top Temperature, Cloud Vertical Distribution, Emissivity, Sea Surface Temperature, Skin Temperature, Carbon Monoxide, Geopotential Height, Humidity, Water Vapor Profiles, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Outgoing Longwave Radiation, Methane, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Vertical Profiles, Specific Humidity, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles, Relative Humidity, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness, Cloud Properties, Cloud Fraction, Cloud Mass Flux, Cloud Droplet Concentration/Size, Cloud Types, Precipitation Rate, Heat Flux, Skin Temperature, Snow/Ice, Evaporation, Latent Heat Flux, Latent Heat Flux, Sensible Heat Flux, Diffusion, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Wind Stress, Wind Stress, Surface Roughness, Ice Fraction
Variability and trends in surface solar spectral ultraviolet irradiance in Italy: on the influence of geopotential height and lower-stratospheric ozone Fountoulakis, Ilias, Diemoz, Henri, Siani, Anna Maria, di Sarra, Alcide, Meloni, Daniela, Sferlazzo, Damiano M. Geopotential Height, Altitude, Surface Temperature, Upper Air Temperature, Dew Point Temperature, Air Temperature, Cloud Top Temperature, Atmospheric Winds, Surface Winds, U/V Wind Components, Upper Level Winds, U/V Wind Components, Vertical Wind Velocity/Speed, Atmospheric Pressure, Sea Level Pressure, Cloud Top Pressure, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Specific Humidity, Total Precipitable Water, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Atmospheric Ozone, Oxygen Compounds, Boundary Layer Winds, Skin Temperature, Carbon Monoxide, Tropopause, Methane, Outgoing Longwave Radiation, Humidity, Water Vapor, Water Vapor Profiles, Cloud Height, Cloud Vertical Distribution, Emissivity, Skin Temperature, Sea Surface Temperature, Vertical Profiles, Ozone Profiles
Variability of temperature and ozone in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere from multi-satellite observations and reanalysis data Shangguan, Ming, Wang, Wuke, Jin, Shuanggen Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Upper Air Temperature, Vertical Profiles, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles
Differentiating between local and remote pollution over Taiwan Kishcha, Pavel, Wang, Sheng-Hsiang, Lin, Neng-Huei, da Silva, Arlindo, Lin, Tang-Huang, Lin, Po-Hsiung, Liu, Gin-Rong, Starobinets, Boris, Alpert, Pinhas Aerosols, Aerosol Extinction, Aerosol Optical Depth/Thickness, Angstrom Exponent, Aerosol Particle Properties, Carbonaceous Aerosols, Dust/Ash/Smoke, Organic Particles, Sulfate Particles, Sulfur Oxides, Sulfur Compounds, Sulfate, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulfur Oxides, Particulate Matter, Dimethyl Sulfide, Black Carbon, Sea Salt, PARTICULATE MATTER (PM 2.5), PARTICULATE MATTER (PM 10), PARTICULATE MATTER (PM 1.0), Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Upper Air Temperature, Vertical Profiles, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles
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Variables

The table below lists the variables contained within a single granule for this dataset. Variables often contain observed or derived geophysical measurements collected from a variety of sources, including remote sensing instruments on satellite and airborne platforms, field campaigns, in situ measurements, and model outputs. The terms variable, parameter, scientific data set, layer, and band have been used across NASA’s Earth science disciplines; however, variable is the designated nomenclature in NASA’s Common Metadata Repository (CMR). Variable metadata attributes such as Name, Description, Units, Data Type, Fill Value, Valid Range, and Scale Factor allow users to efficiently process and analyze the data. The full range of attributes may not be applicable to all variables. Additional information on variable attributes is typically available in the data, user guide, and/or other product documentation.

For questions on a specific variable, please use the Earthdata Forum.

Name Description Units Data Type Fill Value Valid Range Scale Factor Offset
Cov_U_H Cov_U_H m/s m float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Cov_U_O3 Cov_U_O3 m/s kg/kg float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Cov_U_QV Cov_U_QV m/s kg/kg float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Cov_U_T Cov_U_T m/s K float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Cov_U_V Cov_U_V m/s m/s float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Cov_V_H Cov_V_H m/s m float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Cov_V_O3 Cov_V_O3 m/s kg/kg float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Cov_V_QV Cov_V_QV m/s kg/kg float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Cov_V_T Cov_V_T m/s K float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
H H m float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
lat lat degrees_north float64 N/A N/A N/A N/A
lev lev hPa float64 N/A N/A N/A N/A
lon lon degrees_east float64 N/A N/A N/A N/A
O3 O3 kg/kg float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
PS PS Pa float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
QV QV kg/kg float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
SLP SLP Pa float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
T T K float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
time time minutes since 2025-11-01 00:00:00 int32 N/A N/A N/A N/A
U U m/s float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
USVS USVS m/s m/s float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
V V m/s float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_H Var_H m m float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_O3 Var_O3 kg/kg kg/kg float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_PS Var_PS Pa Pa float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_QV Var_QV kg/kg kg/kg float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_SLP Var_SLP Pa Pa float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_T Var_T K K float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_U Var_U m/s m/s float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_V Var_V m/s m/s float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
VSQS VSQS m/s kg/kg float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
VSTS VSTS m/s K float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
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