BOREAS AFM-08 ECMWF Hourly Surface and Upper Air Data for the SSA and NSA 7.3 Data Characteristics 7.3.1 Parameter/Variable The parameters contained in the data files are: SURFACE PARAMETERS Column Name ------------------------------ SITE_NAME SUB_SITE DATE_OBS TIME_OBS FORECAST_DATE ATMOSPHERIC_PRESS_L31 U_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC_L31 V_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC_L31 AIR_TEMP_L31 MIX_RATIO_L31 SOIL_TEMP_0_7_CM SOIL_WATER_0_7_CM SOIL_TEMP_7_289_CM SOIL_WATER_7_289_CM SNOW_DEPTH SURFACE_PRESS NET_SHORTWAVE_RAD NET_LONGWAVE_RAD LATENT_HEAT_FLUX LATENT_HEAT_FLUX_SNOW SENSIBLE_HEAT_FLUX HEAT_FLUX_SOIL_1_2 HEAT_FLUX_SNOW_MELT WATER_SNOW_MELT LARGE_SCALE_RAIN CONVECTIVE_SCALE_RAIN LARGE_SCALE_SNOW CONVECTIVE_SCALE_SNOW SOIL_WATER_1_2 RUNOFF_1 DEEP_RUNOFF CRTFCN_CODE REVISION_DATE UPPER AIR PARAMETERS Column Name ------------------------------ SITE_NAME SUB_SITE DATE_OBS TIME_OBS FORECAST_DATE LEVEL_NUM ATMOSPHERIC_PRESS U_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC V_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC AIR_TEMP ECMWF_MIX_RATIO ATMOS_OMEGA_VELOC CRTFCN_CODE REVISION_DATE 7.3.2 Variable Description/Definition The descriptions of the parameters contained in the data files are: SURFACE PARAMETERS Column Name Description ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------ SITE_NAME The identifier assigned to the site by BOREAS, in the format SSS-TTT-CCCCC, where SSS identifies the portion of the study area: NSA, SSA, REG, TRN, and TTT identifies the cover type for the site, 999 if unknown, and CCCCC is the identifier for site, exactly what it means will vary with site type. SUB_SITE The identifier assigned to the sub-site by BOREAS, in the format GGGGG-IIIII, where GGGGG is the group associated with the sub-site instrument, e.g. HYD06 or STAFF, and IIIII is the identifier for sub-site, often this will refer to an instrument. DATE_OBS The date on which the data were collected. TIME_OBS The Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) when the data were collected. FORECAST_DATE Initial date of forecast analysis. ATMOSPHERIC_PRESS_L31 The atmospheric pressure at Level 31, which is approximately 30 m above the surface. U_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC_L31 The U component wind velocity at Level 31, which is approximately 30 m above the surface. V_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC_L31 The V component wind velocity at Level 31, which is approximately 30 m above the surface. AIR_TEMP_L31 The air temperature at Level 31, which is approximately 30 m above the surface. MIX_RATIO_L31 The atmospheric mixing ratio at level 31, which is approximately 30 m above the surface. SOIL_TEMP_0_7_CM The soil temperature at a depth of 0 to 7 cm. SOIL_WATER_0_7_CM The soil water content at a depth of 0 to 7 cm. SOIL_TEMP_7_289_CM The soil temperature at a depth of 7 to 289 cm. SOIL_WATER_7_289_CM The soil water content at a depth of 7 to 289 cm. SNOW_DEPTH The depth of snow on the ground. SURFACE_PRESS The surface pressure. NET_SHORTWAVE_RAD The net shortwave radiation. NET_LONGWAVE_RAD The net longwave radiation. LATENT_HEAT_FLUX The latent heat flux. LATENT_HEAT_FLUX_SNOW The latent heat flux (evaporation above snow). SENSIBLE_HEAT_FLUX The sensible heat flux. HEAT_FLUX_SOIL_1_2 The heat flux from soil layer 1 (surface) to layer 2. HEAT_FLUX_SNOW_MELT The heat flux from snow melt. WATER_SNOW_MELT The water added to soil from snow melt. LARGE_SCALE_RAIN The large-scale rain. CONVECTIVE_SCALE_RAIN The convective scale rain. LARGE_SCALE_SNOW Large scale snow. CONVECTIVE_SCALE_SNOW Convective scale snow. SOIL_WATER_1_2 The flux of water from soil layer 1 to layer 2. RUNOFF_1 Runoff from layer 1. DEEP_RUNOFF The deep runoff. CRTFCN_CODE The BOREAS certification level of the data. Examples are CPI (Checked by PI), CGR (Certified by Group), PRE (Preliminary), and CPI-??? (CPI but questionable). REVISION_DATE The most recent date when the information in the referenced data base table record was revised. UPPER AIR PARAMETERS Column Name Description ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------ SITE_NAME The identifier assigned to the site by BOREAS, in the format SSS-TTT-CCCCC, where SSS identifies the portion of the study area: NSA, SSA, REG, TRN, and TTT identifies the cover type for the site, 999 if unknown, and CCCCC is the identifier for site, exactly what it means will vary with site type. SUB_SITE The identifier assigned to the sub-site by BOREAS, in the format GGGGG-IIIII, where GGGGG is the group associated with the sub-site instrument, e.g. HYD06 or STAFF, and IIIII is the identifier for sub-site, often this will refer to an instrument. DATE_OBS The date on which the data were collected. TIME_OBS The Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) when the data were collected. FORECAST_DATE Initial date of forecast analysis. LEVEL_NUM The atmospheric level number. To represent the vertical variation of the dependent variables (wind components, temperature, specific humidity, cloud cover, cloud liquid water contents, and cloud ice water contents, the atmosphere is divided into NLEV layers. These layers are defined by the pressures at the interfaces between them (the `half- levels'), and these pressures are given by p(k+1/2)=A(k+1/2) + B(k+1/2)*ps for 0 <= k <= NLEV, and where ps is surface pressure. The A(k+1/2) and B(k+1/2) are constants whose values effectively define the vertical coordinate (see table below). Notice that model levels are labeled top to bottom, i.e., the half-levels p(0+1/2) and p(NLEV+1/2) are, respectively, top of the atmosphere and surface. The prognostic variables are represented by their values at `full-level' pressures p(k), 1 <= k