RECON - Cell-scale atmospheric moisture flows dataset reconciled with ERA5 reanalysis

This repository hosts the RECON dataset (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-04964-3), a global atmospheric moisture connections NetCDF dataset. The RECON dataset is a post-processed version of the Lagrangian (forward trajectory-based) tracking model UTrack dataset (DOI UTrack dataset: 10.1594/PANGAEA.912710, DOI UTrack support paper: 10.5194/essd-12-3177-2020).

RECON provides moisture flow volumes, in cubic meters, from evaporation sources to precipitation targets and vice versa. It offers global coverage at a resolution of 0.5° for an average year based on the period 2008–2017. The RECON dataset is available at 10.5281/zenodo.14191919 in a compressed .7z format, along with a data download and treatment guide. Furthermore, the associated GitHub repository (https://github.com/RECON-globally-reconciled-moisture-flows)  provides Jupyter files to retrieve moisture flow volumes from the dataset.

The archive includes the following files:

• RECON_moisture_flows_0.5.nc.7z: the RECON dataset compressed in .7z format, which can be unpacked according to the instructions in the data guide.

• RECON_ERA5_avgYear_0.5_volumes.nc: an edited version of yearly averaged ERA5 data. These data were used to post-process moisture-flow volumes from the UTrack dataset in order to generate the RECON dataset, as described in the official GitHub repository. The yearly averages are expressed in cubic meters, and the annual balance between precipitation and evaporation is reconciled.

• ERA5_m_0.5_volumes_corrected.nc (where m denotes the month): a post-processed version of the monthly averaged ERA5 precipitation and evaporation data. These files were used to reconstruct monthly moisture-volume flows from the UTrack dataset prior to applying the IPF procedure.

• README.pdf: a guideline document covering dataset description, data handling instructions, relevant repositories, and details on data generation.

Update Note: Version v3 standardizes the variable naming for greater clarity, ensuring that the location receiving precipitation is identified using targetlat and targetlon, consistent with version v1. No modifications have been made to the underlying data.