diff --git a/src/parcels/_core/fieldset.py b/src/parcels/_core/fieldset.py
index 4844ff210..98700edd9 100644
--- a/src/parcels/_core/fieldset.py
+++ b/src/parcels/_core/fieldset.py
@@ -354,10 +354,10 @@ def _format_calendar_error_message(field: Field | VectorField, reference_datetim
 
 
 _COPERNICUS_MARINE_AXIS_VARNAMES = {
-    "X": "lon",
-    "Y": "lat",
-    "Z": "depth",
     "T": "time",
+    "Z": "depth",
+    "Y": "lat",
+    "X": "lon",
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/parcels/_core/particle.py b/src/parcels/_core/particle.py
index cb2a441cf..322d313bb 100644
--- a/src/parcels/_core/particle.py
+++ b/src/parcels/_core/particle.py
@@ -127,9 +127,18 @@ def get_default_particle(spatial_dtype: type[np.float32] | type[np.float64]) ->
     return ParticleClass(
         variables=[
             Variable(
-                "lon",
+                "time",
+                dtype=np.float64,
+                attrs={
+                    "standard_name": "time",
+                    "units": "seconds",
+                    "axis": "T",
+                },  # "units" and "calendar" gets updated/set if working with cftime time domain
+            ),
+            Variable(
+                "z",
                 dtype=spatial_dtype,
-                attrs={"standard_name": "longitude", "units": "degrees_east", "axis": "X"},
+                attrs={"standard_name": "vertical coordinate", "units": "m", "positive": "down"},
             ),
             Variable(
                 "lat",
@@ -137,22 +146,13 @@ def get_default_particle(spatial_dtype: type[np.float32] | type[np.float64]) ->
                 attrs={"standard_name": "latitude", "units": "degrees_north", "axis": "Y"},
             ),
             Variable(
-                "z",
+                "lon",
                 dtype=spatial_dtype,
-                attrs={"standard_name": "vertical coordinate", "units": "m", "positive": "down"},
+                attrs={"standard_name": "longitude", "units": "degrees_east", "axis": "X"},
             ),
-            Variable("dlon", dtype=spatial_dtype, to_write=False),
-            Variable("dlat", dtype=spatial_dtype, to_write=False),
             Variable("dz", dtype=spatial_dtype, to_write=False),
-            Variable(
-                "time",
-                dtype=np.float64,
-                attrs={
-                    "standard_name": "time",
-                    "units": "seconds",
-                    "axis": "T",
-                },  # "units" and "calendar" gets updated/set if working with cftime time domain
-            ),
+            Variable("dlat", dtype=spatial_dtype, to_write=False),
+            Variable("dlon", dtype=spatial_dtype, to_write=False),
             Variable(
                 "particle_id",
                 dtype=np.int64,
diff --git a/src/parcels/_core/particleset.py b/src/parcels/_core/particleset.py
index 947c3b62d..96501b0c9 100644
--- a/src/parcels/_core/particleset.py
+++ b/src/parcels/_core/particleset.py
@@ -59,10 +59,10 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         fieldset,
         pclass=Particle,
-        lon=None,
-        lat=None,
-        z=None,
         time=None,
+        z=None,
+        lat=None,
+        lon=None,
         particle_ids=None,
         **kwargs,
     ):
@@ -70,9 +70,9 @@ def __init__(
         self._kernel = None
 
         self.fieldset = fieldset
-        lon = np.empty(shape=0) if lon is None else np.array(lon).flatten()
-        lat = np.empty(shape=0) if lat is None else np.array(lat).flatten()
         time = np.empty(shape=0) if time is None else np.array(time).flatten()
+        lat = np.empty(shape=0) if lat is None else np.array(lat).flatten()
+        lon = np.empty(shape=0) if lon is None else np.array(lon).flatten()
 
         if particle_ids is None:
             particle_ids = np.arange(lon.size)
@@ -112,10 +112,10 @@ def __init__(
             nparticles=lon.size,
             ngrids=len(fieldset.gridset),
             initial=dict(
-                lon=lon,
-                lat=lat,
-                z=z,
                 time=time,
+                z=z,
+                lat=lat,
+                lon=lon,
                 particle_id=particle_ids,
             ),
         )