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Description

M2TMNPCLD (or tavgM_3d_cld_Np) is a 3-dimensional monthly mean data collection in Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2). This collection consists of assimilations of cloud diagnostics on 42 the pressure levels, such as updraft areal fraction, cloud fraction for radiation, in-cloud cloud liquid (or ice) for radiation, and mass fraction of cloud liquid (or ice) water. 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 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
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
C1276812942-GES_DISC
Data State
ACTIVE
Number of Files/Granules
556
Processing Level
4
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Relative Humidity ,
Cloud Liquid Water/Ice ,
Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness ,
Cloud Properties ,
Cloud Fraction ,
Cloud Mass Flux

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_3d_cld_Np: 3d,Monthly mean,Time-Averaged,Pressure-Level,Assimilation,Cloud Diagnostics V5.12.4 [Data set]. NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/J9R0LXGH48JR Date Accessed: 2026-06-03

Documents

Publications Citing This Dataset

Filters
Title Year Author Topic
Earth as an Exoplanet: Investigating the Effects of Cloud Variability on the Direct-imaging of Atmospheres Kelkar, Soumil, Saxena, Prabal, Kopparapu, Ravi, Monteiro, Joy Geopotential Height, Atmospheric Ozone, Pressure Thickness, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Air Temperature, Upper Air Temperature, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Cloud Fraction, U/V Wind Components, U/V Wind Components, Ozone Profiles, Relative Humidity, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness, Cloud Properties, Cloud Mass Flux, Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Potential Vorticity, Vertical Wind Velocity/Speed, Vertical Profiles, Specific Humidity, Altitude
Earth's Sea Ice Radiative Effect From 1980 to 2023 Duspayev, A., Flanner, M. G., Riihela, A. Relative Humidity, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness, Cloud Properties, Cloud Fraction, Cloud Mass Flux, 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, Specific Humidity, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Altitude, Geopotential Height, Ozone Profiles
Two-decadal climate impacts on growth of major forest types of Eastern Himalaya Chanda, Rajdeep, Singh, Salam Suresh, Singh, Ngangbam Somen, Upadhyay, Keshav Kumar, Tripathi, Shri Kant Surface Pressure, Heat Flux, Longwave Radiation, Shortwave Radiation, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Evapotranspiration, Wind Speed, Rain, Snow, Soil Moisture/Water Content, Soil Temperature, Land Surface Temperature, Snow Cover, Snow Depth, Snow Water Equivalent, Runoff, Precipitation, Precipitation Amount, Precipitation Rate, Surface Temperature, Skin Temperature, Upper Air Temperature, Atmospheric Winds, Surface Winds, U/V Wind Components, Atmospheric Pressure, Sea Level Pressure, Total Precipitable Water, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Atmospheric Ozone, Oxygen Compounds, Altitude, Boundary Layer Winds, Relative Humidity, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness, Cloud Properties, Cloud Fraction, Cloud Mass Flux
Spatio-Temporal Variation of Critical Relative Humidity Based on Multiple Datasets Zhang, Weiyuan, Li, Jiming, Xu, Sihang, Zhao, Yang, Jian, Bida 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, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness, Cloud Properties, Cloud Fraction, Cloud Mass Flux
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
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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
CFCU CFCU 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
CLOUD CLOUD 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
DTRAIN DTRAIN kg m-2 s-1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
INCLOUDQI INCLOUDQI kg kg-1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
INCLOUDQL INCLOUDQL kg kg-1 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
QI QI kg kg-1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
QL QL kg kg-1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
RH RH 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
TAUCLI TAUCLI 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
TAUCLW TAUCLW 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
time time minutes since 2025-11-01 01:30:00 int32 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Var_CFCU Var_CFCU 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_CLOUD Var_CLOUD 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_DTRAIN Var_DTRAIN kg m-2 s-1 kg m-2 s-1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_INCLOUDQI Var_INCLOUDQI kg kg-1 kg kg-1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_INCLOUDQL Var_INCLOUDQL kg kg-1 kg kg-1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_QI Var_QI kg kg-1 kg kg-1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_QL Var_QL kg kg-1 kg kg-1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_RH Var_RH 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_TAUCLI Var_TAUCLI 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
Var_TAUCLW Var_TAUCLW 1 1 float32 999999986991104 N/A N/A N/A
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