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Description

M2I1NXLFO (or inst1_2d_lfo_Nx) is an instantaneous 2-dimensional hourly data collection in Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2). This collection consists of land surface forcing parameters, such as height, specific humidity, wind, and air temperature of the model surface layer. The timestamp of a data field is on each hour starting from 00:00 UTC, e.g.: 00:00, 01:00, … , 23:00 UTC.

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
Projects
MERRA-2
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
C1276812822-GES_DISC
Data State
ACTIVE
Number of Files/Granules
16923
Processing Level
4
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Surface Pressure ,
Air Temperature ,
Specific Humidity ,
Surface Winds ,
Wind Speed ,
Geopotential Height

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 inst1_2d_lfo_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Instantaneous,Single-Level,Assimilation,Land Surface Forcings V5.12.4 [Data set]. NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/RCMZA6TL70BG Date Accessed: 2026-06-04

Documents

Publications Citing This Dataset

Filters
Title Year Author Topic
SEISMO-VRE: A tool for a multiparametric and multidisciplinary study of an earthquake Marchetti, Dedalo, Bailo, Daniele, Falcone, Giuseppe, Michalek, Jan, Paciello, Rossana, Piscini, Alessandro 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 1.0), PARTICULATE MATTER (PM 10), 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, Surface Pressure, Surface Winds, Geopotential Height, Total Precipitable Water, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Oxygen Compounds, Potential Temperature, Potential Temperature, Air Mass/Density, Atmospheric Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Monoxide, Atmospheric Ozone
Global estimates of the storage and transit time of water through vegetation Felton, Andrew J., Fisher, Joshua B., Hufkens, Koen, Purdy, Adam J., Spawn-Lee, Seth A., Duloisy, Lou F., Goldsmith, Gregory R. Biomass, Forests, Grasslands, Alpine/Tundra, Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height, Heat Flux, Skin Temperature, Water Vapor, Precipitation Rate, Snow/Ice, Evaporation, Latent Heat Flux, Latent Heat Flux, Sensible Heat Flux, Diffusion, Surface Winds, U/V Wind Components, Wind Stress, Wind Stress, Surface Roughness, Planetary Boundary Layer Height, Ice Fraction, Reflectance, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Vegetation Productivity, Canopy Characteristics, Evergreen Vegetation, Crown, Deciduous Vegetation, Leaf Characteristics, Vegetation Cover
Quantifying Water Evaporation from Large Reservoirs: Implications for Water Management in Water-Stressed Regions Nevermann, Hannes, Aminzadeh, Milad, Madani, Kaveh, Shokri, Nima 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, Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height
Long-Term Variability of Surface Ozone and Its Associations with NO<SUB>x</SUB> and Air Temperature Changes from Air Quality Monitoring at Belsk, Poland, 19952023 Pawlak, Izabela, Krzyscin, Janusz, Jarosawski, Janusz Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height
Emissions from Military Training: Evidence from Australia Lee, Wang-Sheng, Tran, Trang 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 1.0), PARTICULATE MATTER (PM 10), 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, Surface Pressure, Surface Winds, Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Monoxide, Atmospheric Ozone
Comparison of different hydrogen-ammonia energy conversion pathways for renewable energy supply Lan, Penghang, Chen, She, Li, Qihang, Li, Kelin, Wang, Feng, Zhao, Yaoxun, Wang, Tianwei Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height
Novel renewable seawater desalination system using hydrogen as energy carrier for self-sustaining community Wen, Du, Kuo, Po-Chih, Aziz, Muhammad 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, Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height
Topography Controls Variability in Circumpolar Permafrost Thaw Pond Abolt, C. J., Atchley, A. L., Harp, D. R., Jorgenson, M. T., Witharana, C., Bolton, W. R., Schwenk, J., Rettelbach, T., Grosse, G., Boike, J., Nitze, I., Liljedahl, A. K., Rumpca, C. T., Wilson, C. J., Bennett, K. E. Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Data-driven energy management system for flexible operation of hydrogen/ammonia-based energy hub: A deep reinforcement learning approach Wen, Du, Aziz, Muhammad Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height, 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
The path enabling storage of renewable energy toward carbon neutralization in China Li, Yalun, Wei, Yifan, Zhu, Feiqin, Du, Jiuyu, Zhao, Zhengming, Ouyang, Minggao 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, Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height
Air pollution and motor vehicle collisions in New York city Baryshnikova, Nadezhda V., Wesselbaum, Dennis Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Pressure Thickness, Sea Level Pressure, Upper Air Temperature, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Cloud Fraction, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles
Bi-objective optimal design of desalination plants considering the Ramirez-Ruiz, Carlos, Valencia, Carlos Felipe, Cabrales, Sergio, Ramirez, Andres Felipe Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height, 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
Techno-economic evaluation of hydrogen and ammonia as energy carriers in a multi-generation system Wen, Du, Liu, Shicheng, Ning, Zhiyuan, Aziz, Muhammad 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, Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height
Design and analysis of biomass-to-ammonia-to-power as an energy storage method in a renewable multi-generation system Wen, Du, Aziz, Muhammad Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height, 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
Flexible operation strategy of an integrated renewable multi-generation system for electricity, hydrogen, ammonia, and heating Wen, Du, Aziz, Muhammad Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height, 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
A global dataset of spatiotemporally seamless daily mean land surface temperatures: generation, validation, and analysis Hong, Falu, Zhan, Wenfeng, Gottsche, Frank-M., Liu, Zihan, Dong, Pan, Fu, Huyan, Huang, Fan, Zhang, Xiaodong Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height
Novel hybrid deep learning model for satellite based PM10 forecasting in the most polluted Australian hotspots Sharma, Ekta, Deo, Ravinesh C., Soar, Jeffrey, Prasad, Ramendra, Parisi, Alfio V., Raj, Nawin 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 1.0), PARTICULATE MATTER (PM 10), 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, 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, Total Ozone, Potential Temperature, Potential Temperature, Air Mass/Density, Wind Speed, Emissions, UV Aerosol Index, Gas/Aerosol Composition, Deposition
Normalizing flow-based day-ahead wind power scenario generation for Cramer, Eike, Paeleke, Leonard, Mitsos, Alexander, Dahmen, Manuel Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height
Techno-economic analyses of power-to-ammonia-to-power and biomass-to-ammonia-to-power pathways for carbon neutrality scenario Wen, Du, Aziz, Muhammad Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height, 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
Uncertainty Estimation for SMAP Level-1 Brightness Temperature Assimilation at Different Timescales Gruber, Alexander, Reichle, Rolf H. Longwave Radiation, Shortwave Radiation, Heat Flux, Liquid Precipitation, Snow/Ice, Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height, Brightness Temperature, Soil Moisture/Water Content
A simple yet robust framework to estimate accurate daily mean land surface temperature from thermal observations of tandem polar orbiters Hong, Falu, Zhan, Wenfeng, Gottsche, Frank-M., Lai, Jiameng, Liu, Zihan, Hu, Leiqiu, Fu, Peng, Huang, Fan, Li, Jiufeng, Li, Hua, Wu, Hua Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height
Environmental regulations, air pollution, and infant mortality in India: A reexamination Kyrychenko, Olexiy Longwave Radiation, Shortwave Radiation, Soil Heat Budget, Soil Heat Budget, Soil Temperature, Soil Temperature, Soil Infiltration, Soil Infiltration, Soil Moisture/Water Content, Surface Soil Moisture, Root Zone Soil Moisture, Soil Moisture/Water Content, Evaporation, Surface Water, Runoff Rate, Average Flow, Average Flow, Precipitation, Snow/Ice, Snow Depth, Snow Melt, Snow/Ice Temperature, Leaf Area Index (LAI), Leaf Area Index (LAI), 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), Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height
Partitioning of memory and real-time connections between variables in Himalayan ecohydrological process networks Chauhan, Tejasvi, Ghosh, Subimal Longwave Radiation, Shortwave Radiation, Soil Heat Budget, Soil Heat Budget, Soil Temperature, Soil Temperature, Soil Infiltration, Soil Infiltration, Soil Moisture/Water Content, Surface Soil Moisture, Root Zone Soil Moisture, Soil Moisture/Water Content, Evaporation, Surface Water, Runoff Rate, Average Flow, Average Flow, Precipitation, Snow/Ice, Snow Depth, Snow Melt, Snow/Ice Temperature, Leaf Area Index (LAI), Leaf Area Index (LAI), Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height, Vegetation Index, Plant Phenology, Plant Phenological Changes, Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)
Estimating the effect of air pollution on road safety using atmospheric temperature inversions Sager, Lutz 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, Pressure Thickness, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Potential Vorticity, Vertical Wind Velocity/Speed, Vertical Profiles, Relative Humidity, Specific Humidity, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Cloud Fraction, Altitude, Ozone Profiles, Atmospheric Radiation, Longwave Radiation, Shortwave Radiation, Radiative Flux, Radiative Forcing, Surface Radiative Properties, Albedo, Cloud Properties, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness, Skin Temperature, Sea Surface Skin Temperature, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Heat Flux, Liquid Precipitation, Snow/Ice
Permafrost variability over the Northern Hemisphere based on the MERRA-2 reanalysis Tao, Jing, Koster, Randal D., Reichle, Rolf H., Forman, Barton A., Xue, Yuan, Chen, Richard H., Moghaddam, Mahta Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Surface Winds, Wind Speed, Geopotential Height, Longwave Radiation, Shortwave Radiation, Heat Flux, Liquid Precipitation, Snow/Ice
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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
HLML HLML m float32 999999986991104 N/A 1 0
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
PS PS Pa float32 999999986991104 N/A 1 0
QLML QLML 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A 1 0
SPEEDLML SPEEDLML m s-1 float32 999999986991104 N/A 1 0
time time minutes since 2025-08-01 00:00:00 int32 N/A N/A N/A N/A
TLML TLML K float32 999999986991104 N/A 1 0
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