Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

This site is currently in beta, and your feedback is helping shape its ongoing development.

Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS)

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: December 20, 2025 | Last Modified: 2001-01-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
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).

Find Related Datasets

Click any tag below to search for similar datasets

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Altitude > Geopotential Height Earth Science > Atmosphere > Altitude > Planetary Boundary Layer Height Earth Science > Atmosphere > Altitude > Tropopause Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Atmospheric Pressure Measurements 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 Pressure > Albedo Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Land Cover Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Soil Moisture/Water Content Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Soil Temperature Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Sea Surface Temperature Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Albedo Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Incoming Solar Radiation Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Longwave Radiation Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Radiative Flux Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Shortwave Radiation Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Solar Radiation Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Air Temperature Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Atmospheric Stability Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Boundary Layer Temperature Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Dew Point Temperature Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Upper Air Temperature > Vertical Profiles > Inversion Height Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Potential Temperature Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Skin 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 > Dew Point Temperature Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Processes > Evaporation 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 Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Profiles Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Boundary Layer Winds Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Dynamics > Convection Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Upper Level Winds > Flight Level Winds 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 > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Dynamics > Wind Shear Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Tropospheric/High-Level Clouds (observed/Analyzed) Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Tropospheric/Low Level Clouds (observed/Analyzed) Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Tropospheric/Mid-Level Clouds (observed/Analyzed) Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation > Liquid Precipitation > Rain > Freezing Rain Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation > Precipitation Amount Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation > Precipitation Rate Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation > Liquid Precipitation > Rain Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation > Solid Precipitation > Ice Pellets > Sleet Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation > Solid Precipitation > Snow Earth Science > Terrestrial Hydrosphere > Snow/Ice > Albedo Earth Science > Terrestrial Hydrosphere > Snow/Ice > Snow Cover Earth Science > Terrestrial Hydrosphere > Snow/Ice > Snow Depth Earth Science > Oceans > Sea Ice > Sea Ice Concentration Earth Science > Land Surface > Surface Radiative Properties > Albedo Earth Science > Land Surface > Land Use/Land Cover > Land Use/Land Cover Classification > Vegetation Index Earth Science > Land Surface > Soils > Soil Moisture/Water Content Earth Science > Land Surface > Soils > Soil Temperature Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature Geographic Region > Global Vertical Location > Boundary Layer Vertical Location > Land Surface Vertical Location > Sea Surface Vertical Location > Troposphere Vertical Location > Stratosphere NOMADS > The NOAA Operational Model Archive and Distribution System DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC > National Climatic Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce

Complete Metadata

data.gov

An official website of the GSA's Technology Transformation Services

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov