Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS)

The Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) is the system used by the Global Forecast System (GFS) model to place observations into a gridded model space for the purpose of starting, or initializing, weather forecasts with observed data. GDAS adds the following types of observations to a gridded, 3-D, model space: surface observations, balloon data, wind profiler data, aircraft reports, buoy observations, radar observations, and satellite observations. GDAS data are available as both input observations to GDAS and gridded output fields from GDAS. Gridded GDAS output data can be used to start the GFS model. Due to the diverse nature of the assimilated data types, input data are available in a variety of data formats, primarily Binary Universal Form for the Representation of meteorological data (BUFR) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) binary. The GDAS output is World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Gridded Binary (GRIB).

Data and Resources

Field Value
accessLevel public
accrualPeriodicity R/P1D
bureauCode {006:48}
catalog_@context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
catalog_conformsTo https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
catalog_describedBy https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
identifier gov.noaa.ncdc:C00379
language {en-US}
modified 2001-01-01
old-spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-180.0, -90.0], [180.0, -90.0], [180.0, 90.0], [-180.0, 90.0], [-180.0, -90.0]]]}
programCode {006:059}
publisher DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC > National Climatic Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce (Point of Contact)
resource-type Dataset
source_datajson_identifier true
source_hash 6dcd22cdadaa2c50aba8f27ad4df87d822a6455e
source_schema_version 1.1
spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-180.0, -90.0], [180.0, -90.0], [180.0, 90.0], [-180.0, 90.0], [-180.0, -90.0]]]}
Groups
  • AmeriGEOSS
  • National Provider
  • North America
Tags
  • amerigeo
  • amerigeoss
  • atmosphere-altitude-geopotential-height
  • atmosphere-altitude-planetary-boundary-layer-height
  • atmosphere-altitude-tropopause
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-pressure-albedo
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-pressure-atmospheric-pressure-measurements
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-pressure-land-cover
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-pressure-pressure-thickness
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-pressure-sea-level-pressure
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-pressure-sea-surface-temperature
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-pressure-soil-moisture-water-content
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-pressure-soil-temperature
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-pressure-surface-pressure
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-radiation-albedo
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-radiation-incoming-solar-radiation
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-radiation-longwave-radiation
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-radiation-radiative-flux
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-radiation-shortwave-radiation
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-radiation-solar-radiation
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-temperature-air-temperature
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-temperature-atmospheric-stability
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-temperature-boundary-layer-temperature
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-temperature-dew-point-temperature
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-temperature-inversion-height
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-temperature-potential-temperature
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-temperature-skin-temperature
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-temperature-surface-air-temperature
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-temperature-temperature-profiles
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-water-vapor-dew-point-temperature
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-water-vapor-evaporation
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-water-vapor-humidity
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-water-vapor-precipitable-water
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-water-vapor-water-vapor
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-water-vapor-water-vapor-profiles
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-winds-boundary-layer-winds
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-winds-convection
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-winds-flight-level-winds
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-winds-surface-winds
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-winds-upper-level-winds
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-winds-vertical-wind-motion
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-winds-vorticity
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-winds-wind-profiles
  • atmosphere-atmospheric-winds-wind-shear
  • atmosphere-clouds-tropospheric-high-level-clouds-observed-analyzed
  • atmosphere-clouds-tropospheric-low-level-clouds-observed-analyzed
  • atmosphere-clouds-tropospheric-mid-level-clouds-observed-analyzed
  • atmosphere-precipitation-freezing-rain
  • atmosphere-precipitation-precipitation-amount
  • atmosphere-precipitation-precipitation-rate
  • atmosphere-precipitation-rain
  • atmosphere-precipitation-sleet
  • atmosphere-precipitation-snow
  • ckan
  • doc-noaa-nesdis-ncdc-national-climatic-data-center
  • geo
  • geographic-region-global
  • geoss
  • land-surface-land-use-land-cover-land-cover
  • land-surface-soils-soil-moisture-water-content
  • land-surface-soils-soil-temperature
  • land-surface-surface-radiative-properties-albedo
  • national
  • nesdis
  • noaa
  • nomads-the-noaa-operational-model-archive-and-distribution-system
  • north-america
  • oceans-ocean-temperature-sea-surface-temperature
  • oceans-sea-ice-sea-ice-concentration
  • terrestrial-hydrosphere-snow-ice-albedo
  • terrestrial-hydrosphere-snow-ice-snow-cover
  • terrestrial-hydrosphere-snow-ice-snow-depth
  • u-s-department-of-commerce
  • united-states
  • vertical-location-boundary-layer
  • vertical-location-land-surface
  • vertical-location-sea-surface
  • vertical-location-stratosphere
  • vertical-location-troposphere
isopen False
license_id notspecified
license_title License not specified
maintainer DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC > National Climatic Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
maintainer_email ncdc.orders@noaa.gov
metadata_created 2025-11-22T13:15:28.877028
metadata_modified 2025-11-22T13:15:28.877033
notes The Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) is the system used by the Global Forecast System (GFS) model to place observations into a gridded model space for the purpose of starting, or initializing, weather forecasts with observed data. GDAS adds the following types of observations to a gridded, 3-D, model space: surface observations, balloon data, wind profiler data, aircraft reports, buoy observations, radar observations, and satellite observations. GDAS data are available as both input observations to GDAS and gridded output fields from GDAS. Gridded GDAS output data can be used to start the GFS model. Due to the diverse nature of the assimilated data types, input data are available in a variety of data formats, primarily Binary Universal Form for the Representation of meteorological data (BUFR) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) binary. The GDAS output is World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Gridded Binary (GRIB).
num_resources 4
num_tags 79
title Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS)