This dataset contains products from the NCEP/DOE Reanalysis 2 (R2) Project. The resolution of the R2 model is the same as NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis (R1) project, T62 Gaussian grids with 28 vertical sigma levels. The output fields are saved 4 times a day as in R1. The main objective of the R2 project is to correct known errors in the R1 project and update the parameterizations of the physical processes. Improvements are seen in surface flux fields, hydrological budget, short wave radiation flux, etc. There are also drawbacks found in the outgoing longwave radiation over tropical warm pool and upper-level tropical moisture. R2 plans to reanalyze the data starting from 1979 and going forward only.

The main R2 products archived at NCAR consitute of 6 subgroups: pressure level analysis, sigma level analysis, flux term analysis, diagnostic analysis and 6-hour forecasts of flux term and diagnostic terms. All data files are in GRIB format and archived by month.

This dataset is updated once a month. Limited amount of recent data are also available at NCEP (https://ftp.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wd51we/reanalysis-2/). Earth System Research Laboratory's Physical Sciences Division of NOAA has the same data in netCDF format at https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/data/gridded/data.ncep.reanalysis2.html.