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Description

M2TMNXCSP (or tavgM_2d_csp_Nx) is a time-averaged 2-dimensional monthly mean data collection in Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2). This collection consists of parameters from CFMIP Observations Simulator Package(COSP), such as ISCCP total cloud area fraction, MODIS cloud fraction water (ice) mean, MODIS cloud fraction low (mid,high) mean, modis cloud particle size water (ice) mean. CFMIP is the abbreviation of Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project. The collection also includes variance 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
0.65 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
C1276812867-GES_DISC
Data State
ACTIVE
Number of Files/Granules
555
Processing Level
4
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Albedo ,
Cloud Top Pressure ,
Cloud Properties ,
Cloud Fraction ,
Particle Size Distribution ,
Cloud Liquid Water/Ice ,
Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness

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 tavgM_2d_csp_Nx: 2d,Monthly mean,Time-averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,COSP Satellite Simulator V5.12.4 [Data set]. NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/BZPOTGJOQKLU Date Accessed: 2026-05-16

Documents

Publications Citing This Dataset

Filters
Title Year Author Topic
Environmental drivers ofSphagnumgrowth in peatlands across the Holarctic Bengtsson, Fia, Rydin, Hakan, Baltzer, Jennifer L., Bragazza, Luca, Bu, ZhaoJun, Caporn, Simon J. M., Dorrepaal, Ellen, Flatberg, Kjell Ivar, Galanina, Olga, Gaka, Mariusz, Ganeva, Anna, Goia, Irina, Goncharova, Nadezhda, Hajek, Michal, Haraguchi, Akira, Harris, Lorna I., Humphreys, Elyn, Jirousek, Martin, Kajukao, Katarzyna, Karofeld, Edgar, Koronatova, Natalia G., Kosykh, Natalia P., Laine, Anna M., Lamentowicz, Mariusz, Lapshina, Elena, Limpens, Juul, Linkosalmi, Maiju, Ma, JinZe, Mauritz, Marguerite, Mitchell, Edward A. D., Munir, Tariq M., Natali, Susan M., Natcheva, Rayna, Payne, Richard J., Philippov, Dmitriy A., Rice, Steven K., Robinson, Sean, Robroek, Bjorn J. M., Rochefort, Line, Singer, David, Stenien, Hans K., Tuittila, EevaStiina, Vellak, Kai, Waddington, James Michael, Granath, Gustaf Albedo, Cloud Top Pressure, Cloud Properties, Cloud Fraction, Particle Size Distribution, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness
Rethinking climate, climate change, and their relationship with water Koutsoyiannis, Demetris Atmospheric Radiation, Longwave Radiation, Shortwave Radiation, Radiative Flux, Radiative Forcing, Surface Radiative Properties, Albedo, Emissivity, Cloud Properties, Cloud Fraction, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness, Skin Temperature, Skin Temperature, Sea Surface Skin Temperature, Albedo, Cloud Top Pressure, Particle Size Distribution, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Heat Flux, Heat Flux, Heat Flux, Heat Flux, Longwave Radiation, Shortwave Radiation, Water Vapor Tendency, Water Vapor Flux, Cloud Dynamics, Cloud Microphysics, Snow/Ice, Precipitation, Atmospheric Ozone
The 2015/16 El Nino event in context of the MERRA-2 reanalysis: A comparison of the tropical Pacific with 1982/83 and 1997/98 Lim, Young-Kwon, Kovach, Robin M., Pawson, Steven, Vernieres, Guillaume 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, Water Vapor Tendency, Water Vapor Processes, Potential Vorticity, Vertical Profiles, Relative Humidity, Ozone Profiles, Temperature Tendency, Heat Flux, 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, Atmospheric Radiation, Cloud Fraction, Albedo, Cloud Properties, Particle Size Distribution, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness
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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
ISCCPALB ISCCPALB 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
ISCCPCLDFRC ISCCPCLDFRC 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
lat lat degrees_north float64 N/A N/A N/A N/A
lon lon degrees_east float64 N/A N/A N/A N/A
MDSCLDFRCH2O MDSCLDFRCH2O 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSCLDFRCHI MDSCLDFRCHI 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSCLDFRCICE MDSCLDFRCICE 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSCLDFRCLO MDSCLDFRCLO 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSCLDFRCMID MDSCLDFRCMID 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSCLDFRCTTL MDSCLDFRCTTL 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSCLDSZH20 MDSCLDSZH20 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSCLDSZICE MDSCLDSZICE 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSCLDTOPPS MDSCLDTOPPS 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSH2OPATH MDSH2OPATH 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSICEPATH MDSICEPATH 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSOPTHCKH2O MDSOPTHCKH2O 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSOPTHCKH2OLG MDSOPTHCKH2OLG 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSOPTHCKICE MDSOPTHCKICE 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSOPTHCKICELG MDSOPTHCKICELG 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSOPTHCKTTL MDSOPTHCKTTL 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
MDSOPTHCKTTLLG MDSOPTHCKTTLLG 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
time time minutes since 2025-11-01 00:30:00 int32 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Var_ISCCPALB Var_ISCCPALB 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_ISCCPCLDFRC Var_ISCCPCLDFRC 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSCLDFRCH2O Var_MDSCLDFRCH2O 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSCLDFRCHI Var_MDSCLDFRCHI 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSCLDFRCICE Var_MDSCLDFRCICE 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSCLDFRCLO Var_MDSCLDFRCLO 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSCLDFRCMID Var_MDSCLDFRCMID 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSCLDFRCTTL Var_MDSCLDFRCTTL 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSCLDSZH20 Var_MDSCLDSZH20 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSCLDSZICE Var_MDSCLDSZICE 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSCLDTOPPS Var_MDSCLDTOPPS 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSH2OPATH Var_MDSH2OPATH 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSICEPATH Var_MDSICEPATH 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSOPTHCKH2O Var_MDSOPTHCKH2O 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSOPTHCKH2OLG Var_MDSOPTHCKH2OLG 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSOPTHCKICE Var_MDSOPTHCKICE 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSOPTHCKICELG Var_MDSOPTHCKICELG 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSOPTHCKTTL Var_MDSOPTHCKTTL 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_MDSOPTHCKTTLLG Var_MDSOPTHCKTTLLG 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
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