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Mean-monthly global gridded calibration targets and parameter values derived from monthly-mean Global Circulation Model (GCM) simulations, January 1980 - November 2022

October 15, 2026

This work contributes to an understanding of the global hydrologic cycle. Global Circulation Model (GCM) data from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) were processed into 10 mean-monthly global datasets stored in NetCDF formatrepresenting 12 mean-monthly layers ( .nc file extension; https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/ ). These NetCDF files are used as calibration targets and (or) parameter values for Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS; pubs.usgs.gov/tm/6b7/pdf/tm6-b7.pdf; https://doi.org/10.5066/P9LVUWDC) National Hydrologic Modeling (NHM) applications ( https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/integrated-w… Water Availability Assessments | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov). PRMS is a deterministic, distributed-parameter, physical-process-based modeling system developed to evaluate the response of streamflow and general basin hydrology to various combinations of climate and land use.
 
 
DATA TYPE DESIGNATION
Data layers are labeled according to type, as shown below:
.     ID   Data Type

AET      Actual evapotranspiration
GW       Groundwater (really baseflow) component of total runoff.
PET      Potential evapotranspiration
SCA     Snow-cover area (fraction of cell area) from NASA FLDAS.
SM       Soil moisture
SR        Solar radiation
SRO     Surface runoff
SSR     Subsurface runoff.
SWE     Snow-water equivalent
SWI      Soil-water infiltration

 
CONTENTS OF THIS DATA RELEASE:
 

10 NetCDF Files (1 for each data type).

AET_FLDAS_NOAH01_C_GL_M_001_Evap_tavg_monthly.nc
GW_GLDAS_NOAH025_M_2_1_Qsb_acc_monthly.nc
PET_GLDAS_NOAH025_M_2_1_PotEvap_tavg_monthly.nc
SCA_FLDAS_NOAH01_C_GL_M_001_SnowCover_inst_monthly.nc
SM_GLDAS_NOAH025_M_2_1_RootMoist_inst_monthly.nc
SR_M2TMNXRAD_5_12_4_SWGDN_monthly.nc
SRO_FLDAS_NOAH01_C_GL_M_001_Qs_tavg_monthly.nc
SSR_FLDAS_NOAH01_C_GL_M_001_Qsb_tavg_monthly.nc
SWE_FLDAS_NOAH01_C_GL_M_001_SWE_inst_monthly.nc
SWI_M2TMNXLND_5_12_4_QINFIL_monthly.nc


Table_1  = metadata details about NASA source data, attributes and period-of-record used to make each mean-monthly NetCDF...
Table_2   = NASA source data references.

Publication Year 2026
Title Mean-monthly global gridded calibration targets and parameter values derived from monthly-mean Global Circulation Model (GCM) simulations, January 1980 - November 2022
DOI 10.5066/P9U1HPWK
Authors Kathryn M Koczot, Steven L Markstrom, Richard R McDonald
Product Type Data Release
Record Source USGS Asset Identifier Service (AIS)
USGS Organization Sacramento Projects Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Rights This work is marked with CC0 1.0 Universal
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