[Wrf-users] processing observations for nudging

[Hein Zelle]

Dear WRF Help, WRF users,

could anyone shed some light on the creation of wrf obs-nudging (FDDA)
input files?  We have a couple of questions.  We're trying to process
GTS (SYNOP or BUFR) data into the appropriate file format.  After
reading the page
http://www.mmm.ucar.edu/wrf/users/wrfv2/How_to_run_obs_fdda.html the
following remains unclear:


- What is the unit of 'elevation'?  Station height in m above MSL?

- What is the definition and unit of 'height_data'?  Is it height
  above ground, above MSL, above model surface?  In meters?

- How does the model deal with stations that have a different
  elevation than represented in the model by HGT_M?

- What do you do when multiple surface observations (u10, t2, rh2,
  tsurface) have different observation heights?

- How should missing data be specified?  
  (I assume -888888.000  -888888.000 from the example file) 

- What is the definition and unit of 'ref_pres_data'?


The example shows stations with elevation 0, height_data 0 and
quality 400000.  What does that mean?

For profiles, the example observation file shows 

820.000 -888888.000

for height_data and height_data_qc.  Does this mean "good" or "quality
data missing"?


Any help is appreciated!

Kind regards,
     Hein Zelle


-- 

Dr. Hein Zelle
Senior consultant meteorology & oceanography
BMT ARGOSS

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