![NASA/GSFC/MERRA/aer/2](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/images/NASA/NASA_GSFC_MERRA_aer_2_sample.png) Dataset Availability : 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z--2026-10-01T23:00:00Z Dataset Producer : [NASA/MERRA](https://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/reanalysis/MERRA-2/) Cadence : 1 Hour Tags : [aerosol](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/aerosol) [atmosphere](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/atmosphere) [carbon](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/carbon) [dust](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/dust) [mass](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/mass) [merra](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/merra) [nasa](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/nasa) [sea-salt](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/sea-salt) [so2](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/so2) [so4](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/so4) #### Description M2T1NXAER (or tavg1_2d_aer_Nx) is an hourly time-averaged 2-dimensional data collection in Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2). This collection consists of assimilated aerosol diagnostics, such as column mass density of aerosol components (black carbon, dust, sea-salt, sulfate, and organic carbon), surface mass concentration of aerosol components, and total extinction (and scattering) aerosol optical thickness (AOT) at 550 nm. The total PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 may be derived with the formula described in the [in the FAQ](https://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/reanalysis/MERRA-2/FAQ/) The data field is time-stamped with the central time of an hour starting from 00:30 UTC, e.g.: 00:30, 01:30, ... , 23:30 UTC. MERRA-2 is the latest version of global atmospheric reanalysis for the satellite era produced by NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) using the Goddard Earth Observing System Model (GEOS) version 5.12.4. The dataset covers the period of 1980-present with the latency of \~3 weeks after the end of a month. ### Bands **Bands** Pixel size: 69375x55000 meters (all bands) | Name | Units | Pixel Size | Description | |---|---|---|---| | `BCANGSTR` | | 69375x55000 meters | Black carbon angstrom parameter \[470-870 nm\] | | `BCCMASS` | kg/m\^2 | 69375x55000 meters | Black carbon column mass density | | `BCEXTTAU` | | 69375x55000 meters | Black carbon extinction AOT \[550 nm\] | | `BCFLUXU` | kg/m/s | 69375x55000 meters | Black carbon column u-wind mass flux | | `BCFLUXV` | kg/m/s | 69375x55000 meters | Black carbon column v-wind mass flux | | `BCSCATAU` | | 69375x55000 meters | Black carbon scattering AOT \[550 nm\] | | `BCSMASS` | kg/m\^3 | 69375x55000 meters | Black carbon surface mass concentration | | `DMSCMASS` | kg/m\^2 | 69375x55000 meters | Dms column mass density | | `DMSSMASS` | kg/m\^3 | 69375x55000 meters | Dms surface mass concentration | | `DUANGSTR` | | 69375x55000 meters | Dust angstrom parameter \[470-870 nm\] | | `DUCMASS25` | kg/m\^2 | 69375x55000 meters | Dust column mass density - PM2.5 | | `DUCMASS` | kg/m\^2 | 69375x55000 meters | Dust column mass density | | `DUEXTT25` | | 69375x55000 meters | Dust extinction AOT \[550 nm\] - PM2.5 | | `DUEXTTAU` | | 69375x55000 meters | Dust extinction AOT \[550 nm\] | | `DUFLUXU` | kg/m/s | 69375x55000 meters | Dust column u-wind mass flux | | `DUFLUXV` | kg/m/s | 69375x55000 meters | Dust column v-wind mass flux | | `DUSCAT25` | | 69375x55000 meters | Dust scattering AOT \[550 nm\] - PM2.5 | | `DUSCATAU` | | 69375x55000 meters | Dust scattering AOT \[550 nm\] | | `DUSMASS25` | kg/m\^3 | 69375x55000 meters | Dust surface mass concentration - PM2.5 | | `DUSMASS` | kg/m\^3 | 69375x55000 meters | Dust surface mass concentration | | `OCANGSTR` | | 69375x55000 meters | Organic carbon angstrom parameter \[470-870 nm\] | | `OCCMASS` | kg/m\^2 | 69375x55000 meters | Organic carbon column mass density | | `OCEXTTAU` | | 69375x55000 meters | Organic carbon extinction AOT \[550 nm\] | | `OCFLUXU` | kg/m/s | 69375x55000 meters | Organic carbon column u-wind mass flux | | `OCFLUXV` | kg/m/s | 69375x55000 meters | Organic carbon column v-wind mass flux | | `OCSCATAU` | | 69375x55000 meters | Organic carbon scattering AOT \[550 nm\] | | `OCSMASS` | kg/m\^3 | 69375x55000 meters | Organic carbon surface mass concentration | | `SO2CMASS` | kg/m\^2 | 69375x55000 meters | So2 column mass density | | `SO2SMASS` | kg/m\^3 | 69375x55000 meters | So2 surface mass concentration | | `SO4CMASS` | kg/m\^2 | 69375x55000 meters | SO4 column mass density | | `SO4SMASS` | kg/m\^3 | 69375x55000 meters | SO4 surface mass concentration | | `SSANGSTR` | | 69375x55000 meters | Sea salt angstrom parameter \[470-870 nm\] | | `SSCMASS25` | kg/m\^2 | 69375x55000 meters | Sea salt column mass density - PM2.5 | | `SSCMASS` | kg/m\^2 | 69375x55000 meters | Sea salt column mass density | | `SSEXTT25` | | 69375x55000 meters | Sea salt extinction AOT \[550 nm\] - PM2.5 | | `SSEXTTAU` | | 69375x55000 meters | Sea salt extinction AOT \[550 nm\] | | `SSFLUXU` | kg/m/s | 69375x55000 meters | Sea salt column u-wind mass flux | | `SSFLUXV` | kg/m/s | 69375x55000 meters | Sea salt column v-wind mass flux | | `SSSCAT25` | | 69375x55000 meters | Sea salt scattering AOT \[550 nm\] - PM2.5 | | `SSSCATAU` | | 69375x55000 meters | Sea salt scattering AOT \[550 nm\] | | `SSSMASS25` | kg/m\^3 | 69375x55000 meters | Sea salt surface mass concentration - PM2.5 | | `SSSMASS` | kg/m\^3 | 69375x55000 meters | Sea salt surface mass concentration | | `SUANGSTR` | | 69375x55000 meters | SO4 angstrom parameter \[470-870 nm\] | | `SUEXTTAU` | | 69375x55000 meters | SO4 extinction AOT \[550 nm\] | | `SUFLUXU` | kg/m/s | 69375x55000 meters | SO4 column u-wind mass flux | | `SUFLUXV` | kg/m/s | 69375x55000 meters | SO4 column v-wind mass flux | | `SUSCATAU` | | 69375x55000 meters | SO4 scattering AOT \[550 nm\] | | `TOTANGSTR` | | 69375x55000 meters | Total aerosol angstrom parameter \[470-870 nm\] | | `TOTEXTTAU` | | 69375x55000 meters | Total aerosol extinction AOT \[550 nm\] | | `TOTSCATAU` | | 69375x55000 meters | Total aerosol scattering AOT \[550 nm\] | ### Terms of Use **Terms of Use** NASA promotes the full and open sharing of all data with research and applications communities, private industry, academia, and the general public. ### Explore with Earth Engine > [!NOTE] > **Important:** Earth Engine is a platform for petabyte-scale scientific analysis and visualization of geospatial datasets, both for public benefit and for business and government users. Earth Engine is free to use for research, education, and nonprofit use. To get started, please [register for Earth Engine access.](https://console.cloud.google.com/earth-engine) ### Code Editor (JavaScript) ```javascript var dataset = ee.ImageCollection('NASA/GSFC/MERRA/aer/2') .filter(ee.Filter.date('2022-02-01', '2022-02-02')); var black_carbon_column_u_wind_mass_flux = dataset.select('BCFLUXU'); var bccVis = { min: -0.0000116, max: 0.0000165, palette: ['001137', '01abab', 'e7eb05', '620500'] }; Map.setCenter(-95.62, 39.91, 2); Map.addLayer(black_carbon_column_u_wind_mass_flux, bccVis); ``` [Open in Code Editor](https://code.earthengine.google.com/?scriptPath=Examples:Datasets/NASA/NASA_GSFC_MERRA_aer_2) [MERRA-2 M2T1NXAER: Aerosol Diagnostics V5.12.4](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/NASA_GSFC_MERRA_aer_2) M2T1NXAER (or tavg1_2d_aer_Nx) is an hourly time-averaged 2-dimensional data collection in Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2). This collection consists of assimilated aerosol diagnostics, such as column mass density of aerosol components (black carbon, dust, sea-salt, sulfate, and organic carbon), surface mass concentration of aerosol components, ... NASA/GSFC/MERRA/aer/2, aerosol,atmosphere,carbon,dust,mass,merra,nasa,sea-salt,so2,so4 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z/2026-10-01T23:00:00Z -90 -180 90 180 Google Earth Engine https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets - [](https://doi.org/https://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/reanalysis/MERRA-2/) - [](https://doi.org/https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/NASA_GSFC_MERRA_aer_2)