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Atmosphere

Atmospheric reanalyses (global, regional and land) and observation-based precipitation, surface temperature and radiation datasets. Older generations needed to reproduce published work or for comparison studies are included alongside current products.

Tick two or more boxes on the left to compare them; click a column header to sort.

About resolution values — please read
  • Provided resolution is the grid spacing you download from the main provider, not the model's native resolution. The same dataset can come on different grids from different providers or products, so always check the grid of the file you actually downloaded.
  • km values are approximations at the equator (1° ≈ 111 km). Longitude spacing shrinks with cos(latitude): at 60° it is half (0.25° ≈ 14 km), so "28 km" is not 28 km everywhere.
  • Gaussian grids have uneven latitude spacing, and ocean model grids (tripolar, curvilinear) vary from place to place. Grids with different latitude and longitude spacing are written as 0.5°×0.625° (lat × lon).
  • Polar-stereographic and EASE2 grids of sea-ice satellite products are defined in km; the degree value in brackets is a simple conversion. The NSIDC polar stereographic grid matches its nominal spacing only at 70° latitude.
  • Grid spacing is not the size of the smallest feature actually resolved (effective resolution). Features are typically resolved only at several times the grid spacing, and interpolating to a finer grid adds no information.
  • Temporal resolution is the shortest interval provided. Intervals and whether a value is instantaneous, mean or accumulated differ between variables — see 'Available variables' on each dataset page.

Reanalyses

DatasetTypePeriodCoverageProvided resolutionIntervalStatus
ERA5Reanalysis1940-01 ~ presentGlobal28 km (0.25°)1 hAvailable
ERA6Reanalysis1950 ~ presentGlobal14 km (0.13°)1 hUpcoming
JRA-3QReanalysis1947-09 ~ presentGlobal139 km (1.25°)1 hAvailable
MERRA-2Reanalysis1980-01 ~ presentGlobal56 km (0.5°×0.625°)1 hAvailable
NCEP–DOE R2Reanalysis1979-01 ~ 2026-02Global278 km (2.5°)6 hUpdate delayed
CFSR / CFSv2Reanalysis1979-01 ~ presentGlobal56 km (0.5°)1 hAvailable
COReReanalysis1950-01 ~ presentGlobal78 km (0.7°)3 hAvailable
NCEP/NCAR R1Reanalysis1948-01 ~ 2026-03Global278 km (2.5°)6 hDiscontinued
JRA-55Reanalysis1958-01 ~ 2024-01Global139 km (1.25°)3 hDiscontinued
ERA-InterimReanalysis1979-01 ~ 2019-08Global78 km (0.7°)3 hDiscontinued
MERRAReanalysis1979-01 ~ 2016-02Global56 km (0.5°×0.667°)1 hDiscontinued
JRA-25Reanalysis1979-01 ~ 2014-01Global139 km (1.25°)6 hDiscontinued
ERA-40Reanalysis1957-09 ~ 2002-08Global125 km (1.125°)6 hDiscontinued
ERA-15Reanalysis1979-01 ~ 1993-12Global125 km (1.125°)6 hDiscontinued

Regional reanalyses

Reanalyses of a limited region on a finer grid than global reanalyses, with boundary conditions taken from a global reanalysis.

DatasetTypePeriodCoverageProvided resolutionIntervalStatus
CARRA2Reanalysis1985-09 ~ 2025-12Arctic2.5 km (0.023°)1 hAvailable
CARRAReanalysis1990-09 ~ presentPart of Arctic2.5 km (0.023°)1 hBeing replaced

Reanalyses without satellite data

Reanalyses that assimilate only conventional observations such as surface pressure and marine winds, without satellite data. Keeping the observing system stable reduces spurious jumps, which makes them suited to century-long and low-frequency studies.

DatasetTypePeriodCoverageProvided resolutionIntervalStatus
20CR (v3)Reanalysis1836-01 ~ 2015-12Global111 km (1°)3 hDiscontinued
JRA-55CReanalysis1972-11 ~ 2012-12Global139 km (1.25°)3 hDiscontinued
ERA-20CReanalysis1900-01 ~ 2010-12Global125 km (1.125°)3 hDiscontinued
CERA-20CReanalysis1901-01 ~ 2010-12Global125 km (1.125°)3 hDiscontinued

Land reanalyses

Land-surface model reruns at higher resolution, driven by atmospheric reanalysis forcing. Used for soil moisture, snow and surface-flux studies.

DatasetTypePeriodCoverageProvided resolutionIntervalStatus
ERA5-LandReanalysis1950-01 ~ presentGlobal11 km (0.1°)1 hAvailable

Precipitation

DatasetTypePeriodCoverageProvided resolutionIntervalStatus
GSMaP ↔Satellite product1998-01 ~ presentQuasi-global11 km (0.1°)1 hAvailable
GPCP V3.3Observation-based analysis1983-01 ~ presentGlobal56 km (0.5°)1 dayUpdate delayed
GPM IMERG V07Satellite product1998-01 ~ presentGlobal11 km (0.1°)30 minUpdate delayed
CMORPH CDR ↔Satellite product1998-01 ~ presentQuasi-global8 km (0.073°)30 minAvailable
PERSIANN-CDR ↔Satellite product1983-01 ~ presentQuasi-global28 km (0.25°)1 dayAvailable
CHIRPS ↔Observation-based analysis1981-01 ~ presentQuasi-global6 km (0.05°)1 dayAvailable
APHRODITEObservation-based analysis1951-01 ~ 2015-12Asia28 km (0.25°)1 dayDiscontinued

Surface temperature

DatasetTypePeriodCoverageProvided resolutionIntervalStatus
HadCRUT5Observation-based analysis1850-01 ~ presentGlobal555 km (5°)1 monthAvailable
GISTEMP v4Observation-based analysis1880-01 ~ presentGlobal222 km (2°)1 monthAvailable
Berkeley EarthObservation-based analysis1850-01 ~ presentGlobal28 km (0.25°)1 monthAvailable
CRU TS v4.10Observation-based analysis1901-01 ~ 2025-12Global56 km (0.5°)1 monthAvailable

Radiation

DatasetTypePeriodCoverageProvided resolutionIntervalStatus
CERES EBAF Ed4.2.1Satellite product2000-03 ~ presentGlobal111 km (1°)1 monthAvailable
CERES SYN1deg ↔Satellite product2000-03 ~ presentGlobal111 km (1°)1 hAvailable
NOAA OLR ↔Satellite product1974-06 ~ presentGlobal111 km (1°)1 dayAvailable

↔ Also listed in another section.