| Summary: | The Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2) is a NASA atmospheric reanalysis for the satellite era using the Goddard Earth Observing System Model, Version 5 (GEOS-5) with its Atmospheric Data Assimilation System (ADAS), version 5.12.4. The MERRA project focuses on historical climate analyses for a broad range of weather and climate time scales and places the NASA EOS suite of observations in a climate context. MERRA-2 was initiated as an intermediate project between the aging MERRA data and the next generation of Earth system analysis envisioned for the future coupled reanalysis. Without a substantial investment to update MERRA's data assimilation routines, the system lacked the capability to analyze the latest observations. In addition, numerous advances to the GEOS5 system had been implemented since freezing the MERRA system in 2008. Therefore, a new full reanalysis integration was undertaken. MERRA-2 covers the period 1980-present, continuing as an ongoing climate analysis as resources allow.
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