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Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR), for 1979 to 2011

browse graphicNCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) Logo
The NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) was initially completed for the 31-year period from 1979 to 2009, in January 2010. The CFSR was designed and executed as a global, high resolution, coupled atmosphere-ocean-land surface-sea ice system to provide the best estimate of the state of these coupled domains over this 31-year period. The CFSR has also been extended as an operational, real time product into the future. New features of the CFSR include: (1) coupling of atmosphere and ocean during the generation of the 6 hour guess field; (2) an interactive sea-ice model; and (3) assimilation of satellite radiances by the Grid-point Statistical Interpolation (GSI) scheme over the entire period. The CFSR global atmosphere resolution is approximately 38 km (T382) with 64 levels extending from the surface to 0.26 hPa. The global ocean's latitudinal spacing is 0.25 deg at the equator, extending to a global 0.5 deg beyond the tropics, with 40 levels to a depth of 4737m. The global land surface model has four4 soil levels and the global sea ice model has 3 layers. The CFSR atmospheric model has observed variations in carbon dioxide (CO2) over the 1979-2009 period, together with changes in aerosols and other trace gases and solar variations. Most available in-situ and satellite observation data were included in the CFSR. Satellite-based radiance observations were bias corrected with spin-up runs at full resolution, taking into account variable CO2 concentrations. This procedure enabled smooth transitions of the observation record due to evolutionary changes in satellite observing systems. The CFSR atmospheric, oceanic and land surface output products are available at an hourly time resolution and at a 0.5 deg x 0.5 deg latitude and longitude resolution. In total, there are 10 data products available from the National Climatic Data Center that make up the CFS Reanalysis collection: MON - Monthly Means; TIME - Parameter Timeseries; PGB - 3-D Pressure Level Data; FLX - Surface and Radiative Fluxes; OCN - 3-D Ocean Data; IPV - 3-D Isentropic Level Data; DIAB - 3-D Diabatic Heating Data; GRBLOW - Low-Resolution Data; HIC - High-Res Initial Conditions; LIC - Low-Res Initial Conditions. All data are in GRIB-2 format, except for the initial condition data which are in native binary formats. Total CFSR data volume is approximately 200 TB.
  • Cite this dataset when used as a source.
  • NCEI DSI 6190_01
  • NCEI DSI 6191_01
  • gov.noaa.class:CFS-R
  • gov.noaa.ncdc:C00765
gov.noaa.ncdc:C00765
Download Data
Distribution Formats
  • GRIB (Version: Version 2)
    • File Compression: http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/docs/grib2/grib2_doc.shtml
  • XML
Ordering Instructions Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions.
Distributor NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
ncei.info@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact Customer Engagement Branch
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
1-828-271-4800
ncei.orders@noaa.gov
Time Period 1979-01-01 to 2011-03-31
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: -180.0
East: 180.0
South: -90.0
North: 90.0
Spatial Coverage Map
General Documentation
Associated Resources
Publication Dates
  • publication: 2010-01-01
Data Presentation Form Digital model - multi-dimensional digital representation of a feature, process, etc.
Dataset Progress Status Complete - production of the data has been completed
Data Update Frequency Unknown
Supplemental Information
Series includes the following product types: MON - Monthly Means; TIME - Parameter Timeseries; PGB - 3-D Pressure Level Data; FLX - Surface and Radiative Fluxes; OCN - 3-D Ocean Data; IPV - 3-D Isentropic Level Data; DIAB - 3-D Diabatic Heating Data; GRBLOW - Low-Resolution Data; HIC - High-Res Initial Conditions; LIC - Low-Res Initial Conditions.
Purpose The CFS Reanalysis provides estimates and diagnoses of the Earth's climate state over the data period for climate research; provides the basis for most of NCEP Climate Prediction Center's operational climate products by defining the mean states of the atmosphere, ocean, land surface and sea ice over the 1979-2011 climate normal; and provides initial conditions for historical forecasts required to calibrate operational NCEP climate forecasts.
Dataset Citation
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Cited Authors
  • DOC/NOAA/NWS/NCEP > National Centers for Environmental Prediction, National Weather Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Originators
  • DOC/NOAA/NWS/NCEP > National Centers for Environmental Prediction, National Weather Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Publishers
  • DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
  • DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC > National Climatic Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Theme keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Altitude > Geopotential Height
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Pressure Thickness
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Sea Level Pressure
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Surface Pressure
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Heat Flux
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Incoming Solar Radiation
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Longwave Radiation
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Outgoing Longwave Radiation
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Radiative Flux
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Shortwave Radiation
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Air Temperature
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Boundary Layer Temperature
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Maximum/Minimum Temperature
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Upper Air Temperature
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Total Precipitable Water
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Profiles
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Boundary Layer Winds
  • Earth Science > Ocean > Ocean Winds > Convergence/Divergence
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Dynamics > Streamfunctions
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Surface Winds
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Upper Level Winds
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Dynamics > Vertical Wind Velocity/Speed
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Dynamics > Vorticity
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Profiles
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation > Precipitation Rate
  • Earth Science > Land Surface > Soils > Soil Moisture/Water Content
  • Earth Science > Land Surface > Surface Thermal Properties > Land Surface Temperature
  • Earth Science > Oceans > Sea Surface Topography > Sea Surface Height
  • Earth Science > Oceans > Salinity/Density > Salinity
  • Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Potential Temperature
  • Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
  • Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Thermocline
  • Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Circulation > Ocean Currents
  • Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Circulation > Upwelling/Downwelling
  • Earth Science > Oceans > Sea Ice > Ice Depth/Thickness
  • Earth Science > Oceans > Sea Ice > Sea Ice Concentration
  • Earth Science > Terrestrial Hydrosphere > Snow/Ice > Snow Water Equivalent
  • Earth Science > Land Surface > Soils > Soil Temperature
Data Center keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
  • DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
  • DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC > National Climatic Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Place keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
  • Geographic Region > Global
Stratum keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
  • Vertical Location > Boundary Layer
  • Vertical Location > Land Surface
  • Vertical Location > Sea Surface
  • Vertical Location > Stratosphere
  • Vertical Location > Troposphere
Use Constraints
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  • Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Access Constraints
  • Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.
Fees
  • In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media.
Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • See the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Journal Article, The NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/2010BAMS3001.1
Lineage information for: repository
Processing Steps
  • 2015-04-22T00:00:00 - NOAA created the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) by merging NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), and National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), including the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC), per the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, Public Law 113-235. NCEI launched publicly on April 22, 2015.
Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument
  • NOT APPLICABLE
Platform
  • MODEL
Last Modified: 2023-07-12
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