We are in the process of migrating all NASA Earth science data sites into Earthdata from now until end of 2026. Not all NASA Earth science data and resources will appear here until then. Thank you for your patience as we make this transition.Read about the Web Unification Project
Description
This data set contains fifty-two fields simulated from the Noah land-surface model (LSM) for Phase 2 of the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS-2). The data are in 1/8th degree grid spacing and range from Jan 1979 to the present. The temporal resolution is monthly. The file format is netCDF (converted from the GRIB format).
The NLDAS-2 monthly Noah model data, containing fifty-two fields, were generated from the NLDAS-2 hourly Noah model data, as monthly accumulation for rainfall, snowfall, subsurface runoff, surface runoff, total evapotranspiration, snow melt, and monthly averages for other variables. The monthly period of each month is from 00Z at start of the month to 23:59Z at end of the month, with the exception of the very first month in the data set (Jan 1979) which starts at 00Z 02 Jan 1979. Also for the first month (Jan 1979), because the variables listed as instantaneous in the README file do not have valid data exactly on 00Z 02 Jan 1979, and this one hour is not included in the average for this month only.
Details about the NLDAS-2 configuration of the Noah LSM can be found in Xia et al. (2012).
Product Summary
Platforms
Noah-LSM
Instruments
NOT APPLICABLE
Projects
NLDAS
Spatial Extent
N: 53S: 25E: -67W: -125
Spatial Resolution
0.125 Decimal Degrees x 0.125 Decimal Degrees
Location
NORTH AMERICA
Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
CARTESIAN
Temporal Extent
1979-01-01 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
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
Citation Copied
NLDAS Project. (2020). NLDAS Noah Land Surface Model L4 Monthly 0.125 x 0.125 degree V2.0 [Data set]. NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/WB224IA3PVOJ Date Accessed: 2026-06-05
NLDAS Project. “NLDAS Noah Land Surface Model L4 Monthly 0.125 x 0.125 Degree V2.0.” NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center, 2020. doi:10.5067/WB224IA3PVOJ. Date Accessed: 2026-06-05
NLDAS Project. NLDAS Noah Land Surface Model L4 Monthly 0.125 x 0.125 Degree V2.0. NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center, 2020, doi:10.5067/WB224IA3PVOJ. Date Accessed: 2026-06-05
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.