The monthly anomaly data set contains a series of land surface parameters simulated from the Noah 3.6.1 model in the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) Land Data Assimilation System (FLDAS). The dataset comprises of monthly files, each representing how the month compares to the 35-year monthly climatology from 1982 to 2016, based on the FLDAS Noah Land Surface Model L4 Global Monthly 0.1 x 0.1 degree (MERRA-2 and CHIRPS) V001 (FLDAS_NOAH01_C_GL_M_001) monthly data. The data are in 0.10 degree resolution and the spatial coverage is global (60S, 180W, 90N, 180E). The FLDAS regional monthly anomaly datasets will no longer be available and have been superseded by the global monthly anomaly dataset.

More information about the monthly FLDAS can be found from the dataset landing page for FLDAS_NOAH01_C_GL_M_001 and the FLDAS README document.

In November 2020, all FLDAS data were post-processed with the MOD44W MODIS land mask.  Previously, some grid boxes over inland water were considered as over land and, thus, had non-missing values.  The post-processing corrected this issue and masked out all model output data over inland water; the post-processing did not affect the meteorological forcing variables. More information on this can be found in the FLDAS README document, and the MOD44W MODIS land mask is available on the FLDAS Project site. If you had downloaded any FLDAS data prior to November 2020, please download the data again to receive the post-processed data.