SSEC Data Center RTGRIDS Datasets and Naming Format

06 August 2003

This page contains a complete listing of the 71 new RTGRIDS datasets and a description of their naming format. The new datasets are being implemented in the SSEC Data Center between 28 July and 25 August 2003. See GFS Grid Labeling and Real-Time Grid Dataset Changes for details.

RTGRIDS Dataset Naming Format

There are currently 71 datasets in the RTGRIDS group. All but two of them contain a model/source name in their descriptor. The two special cases are RTGRIDS/ALL and RGRIDS/OVERFLOW. The RTGRIDS/ALL dataset contains all of the grid files (and their grids) in the other 70 datasets. You can use RTGRIDS/ALL, but we recommend that you don't - mainly because it will be difficult to find the exact grid you want (you'll have to use many search keywords in your GRD* commands) and search times will be slow because there are thousands of grid files in the dataset. The RTGRIDS/OVERFLOW dataset performs the same function as the old RTGRIDS/MISC dataset - it stores the grids that don't belong in any of the other 69 datasets. They are normally incidental test grids that are sent through the NOAAPORT data stream, but can be grids with new sources/models that don't yet have their own dataset. When that happens, the SSEC Data Center will add the appropriate datasets.

The other 69 datasets in RTGRIDS are named according to their model/source. There are 22 different models/sources, including commonly-used ones like the ECMWF, ETA, GFS and NGM forecast models. There is an "ALL" dataset for each of the 22 models/sources that contains all of the model/source's grid files. For example, the datasets RTGRIDS/ECM-ALL, RTGRIDS/ETA-ALL, RTGRIDS/GFS-ALL and RTGRIDS/NGM-ALL contain all the grid files for their model/source.

The remaining 47 RTGRIDS datasets are subsets of the "ALL" datasets described in the previous paragraph. These 47 datasets are limited to the nine sources/models (ECMWF, ETA, GFS, ICA, NGM, RUC, SST, UKMET and WWF) that are available in multiple coverages and/or projections. These 47 datasets exist to make it easier to find and use the exact coverage and/or projection you want for a given model/source. You might be able to find the exact coverage and projection using the "ALL" dataset (e.g., RTGRIDS/GFS-ALL), but it will likely require use of additional search keywords like GRIB= and GPRO= in your GRD* commands, and the search time will also be slower because there are more grid files to search through.

The table below shows the naming convention used in the descriptor of those 47 RTGRIDS datasets. (The descriptor is the portion of the dataset name that comes after the slash following the group name. For example , GFS-USLCSSIA is the descriptor for the dataset named RTGRIDS/GFS-USLCSSIA.)

Characters	Contents	Sample Values
1-3	model/source name or abbbreviation	AWR, ECM, ETA, GFS, NAH, NGM, RUC, UKM, WWF, SST (for Alaska Waters Regional Wave, ECMWF, ETA, Global Forecast System, North Atlantic Hurricane Wave, Nested Grid Model, Rapid Update Cycle, UKMET and Wind-Wave Forecast models, and Sea Surface Temperature Analysis, respectively)
4	hyphen character	- (used as a separator between the model/source in characters 1-3 and the grid characteristics information in characters 5-12)
5-6	geographic coverage	AK, EQ, GL, HI, NH, US (for Alaska, Equatorial strip, Global, Hawaii, Northern Hemisphere, and Continental United States, respectively)
7-8	projection	LC, ME, PS (for Lambert Conformal, Mercator, and Polar Stereographic, respectively)
9-12	additional information as needed to distinguish the dataset's grids from others with the same values in characters 1-8	2, 4, LRES, 170, 62, SSIF (for double resolution, quadruple resolution, low resolution, T170/L42 Global Spectral Model run, 62 Wave triangular 28 layer run, and SSI Analysis from final run, respectively

Example: To determine the contents of dataset RTGRIDS/GFS-NHPSSSIF, decode its descriptor (GFS-NHPSSSIF) as follows:

      |------------> Characters 1-3 = model/source = GFS = Global Forecast System model
      |   |--------> Characters 5-6 = geographic coverage = NH = Northern Hemisphere
      |   | |------> Characters 7-8 = projection = PS = Polar Stereographic
      |   | |  |---> Characters 9-12 = additional info = SSIF = SSI Analysis from final run
     GFS-NHPSSSIF

Listing of all RTGRIDS Datasets

The listing below comes from the command DSINFO G RTGRIDS. It lists the descriptors for all 71 datasets in the group RTGRIDS. As always, you will need to use the entire dataset name (e.g., RTGRIDS/AWR-ALL) in your GRD* commands.

   Name             Content
   ------------     ----------------------------------------------------
   ALL              All grids
   AWC-ALL          AWC - All National Convective Weather Diagnostic grids
   AWR-ALL          AWR - All Alaska Waters Regional Wave Model grids
   ECM-ALL          ECMWF - All European Cntr for Med range Weather Fcst
   ECM-EQME         ECMWF - Equatorial strip (30S - 30N)/Merc
   ECM-GLME         ECMWF - Global/Merc
   ECM-NWME         ECMWF - NW quad (0-90N 120E - 120W)/Merc
   ETA-AKPS         ETA - Alaska/PS
   ETA-ALL          ETA - All ETA numerical model grids
   ETA-USLC         ETA - CONUS/LC
   ETA-USLC2        ETA - CONUS/LC (double res)
   ETA-USLCAWI4     ETA - CONUS/LC (projection used by AWIPS - quad res)
   ETA-USLCAWIP     ETA - CONUS/LC (projection used by AWIPS)
   FFG-ALL          FFG - All NWS Flash Flood Guidance System grids
   GFS-AKPS         GFS - Alaska/PS; forecast and analysis
   GFS-AKPSLRES     GFS - Alaska/PS; low resolution
   GFS-AKPSSSIF     GFS - Alaska/PS; analysis - final run
   GFS-ALL          GFS - All Global Forecast System grids
   GFS-GLME         GFS - Global/Merc; forecast and analysis
   GFS-GLMELRES     GFS - Global/Merc; low resolution
   GFS-HIME         GFS - Hawaii/Merc; forecast and analysis
   GFS-HIMELRES     GFS - Hawaii/Merc; low resolution
   GFS-HIMESSIF     GFS - Hawaii/Merc; analysis - final run
   GFS-NHPS         GFS - N Hemi/PS; forecast and analysis
   GFS-NHPSLRES     GFS - N Hemi/PS; low resolution
   GFS-NHPSSSIF     GFS - N Hemi/PS; analysis - final run
   GFS-NWME170      GFS - NW Quad/Merc; low resolution (T170)
   GFS-NWME62       GFS - NW Quad/Merc; low resolution (T62)
   GFS-NWMESSIF     GFS - NW Quad/Merc; analysis - final run
   GFS-PRPSLRES     GFS - Puerto Rico/PS; low resolution
   GFS-PRPSSSIF     GFS - Puerto Rico/PS; analysis - final run
   GFS-USLC         GFS - CONUS/LC
   GFS-USPS         GFS - CONUS/PS; forecast and analysis
   GFS-USPS2        GFS - CONUS/PS; double resolution
   GFS-USPSLRES     GFS - CONUS/PS; low resolution
   GFS-USPSSSIF     GFS - CONUS/PS; analysis - final run
   ICA-ALL          ICA - All Ice Concentration Analysis grids
   ICA-GLME         ICA - Global/Merc
   ICA-NHPS         ICA - N Hemi/PS
   ICA-NWME         ICA - NW Quad/Merc
   ICN-ALL          ICN - All Current Icing Potential grids
   LFM-ALL          LFM - All Limited-area Fine Mesh (LFM) analysis
   MDR-ALL          MDR - All Manually Digitized Radar grids
   NAH-ALL          NAH - All North Atlantic Hurricane Wave Model grids
   NCE-ALL          NCEP - All NCEP quantitative precip forecast
   NDF-ALL          NDFD - All NCEP/HPC NDFD grids (quad res); CONUS/LC
   NGM-AKPS         NGM - Alaska/PS
   NGM-ALL          NGM - All Nested Grid Model grids
   NGM-USLC         NGM - CONUS/LC
   NGM-USPS         NGM - CONUS/PS
   NGM-USPS2        NGM - CONUS/PS (double res)
   OVERFLOW         Overflow grid dataset
   RCM-ALL          RCM - All Radar Code Message grids
   RFC-ALL          RFC - All River Forecast Center mosaic data; CONUS/LC
   RUC-ALL          RUC - All Rapid Update Cycle model grids
   RUC-USLC         RUC - CONUS/LC (isentropic - 60km at 40N)
   RUC-USLC2        RUC - CONUS/LC (isentropic - 20km at 40N)
   RUC-USPS         RUC - CONUS/PS (isentropic - 20km at 40N)
   SST-ALL          SST - All Sea Surface Temp Analysis grids
   SST-GLME         SST - Global/Merc
   SST-GLME2        SST - Global/Merc (double res)
   SST-GLMETHIN     SST - Global/Merc (thinned)
   SST-NEME         SST - NE Quad/Merc
   UKM-ALL          UKMT - All Coastal Ocean Circulation data; global/Merc
   UKM-GLME         UKMT - Global/Merc
   UKM-GLMETHIN     UKMT - Global/Merc (thinned)
   WHG-ALL          WHG - All sig. height of wind waves; Great Lakes/LC
   WNA-ALL          WNA - All Western North Atlantic Regional Wave Model grids
   WWF-ALL          WWF - All Global Wind-Wave Forecast grids
   WWF-GLME         WWF - Global/Merc
   WWF-GLMETHIN     WWF - Global/Merc (thinned)

Note that all models will be available under RTGRIDS, and that all datasets for each model will be grouped together because DSINFO lists the datasets alphabetically. Also note that every model has a dataset containing all of its grids, e.g., RTGRIDS/ETA-ALL and RTGRIDS/GFS-ALL.

Direct your comments/questions to the SSEC Data Center.