Running ICAR

Example

$ mpiexec -n 360 icar options_file_name.nml

Input files

Primary settings file:

icar_options.nml [other filename can be specified on the commandline e.g. icar your_options_file] This file specifies all other files and options. See the example in run/complete_icar_options.nml for all options or run/short_icar_options.nml for the more common options.

Other settings files can be defined in the primary settings file, or all settings can be included in one file.

Most settings are well documented in the sample settings files provided, additional documentation for all settings is provided in the settings documentation.

Necessary netcdf files:

1) Boundary / Initial conditions file(s) (from e.g. wrf, reanalysis, or GCM output). These files are specified in the options file as boundary_files.

Must contain the following variables (optional variables are in square brackets) : NOTE: any variable name can be used as specified in the options file.

QV      = Water Vapor mixing ratio                  (kg/kg)
T       = Air Temperature                           (K with an optional offset)
P       = Pressure                                  (Pa with an optional [PB] offset)
U       = East-West wind                            (m/s)
V       = North-South wind                          (m/s)
HGT     = Terrain Height                            (m)
Z       = 3D model level heights                    (m)
LAT     = Latitude on mass (P/T/etc.) grid          (degrees)
LONG    = Longitude on mass (P/T/etc.) grid         (degrees)
[PB]    = base pressure to be added to P            (Pa)
[QC]    = cloud water content mixing ratio          (kg/kg)
[QR]    = rain water content mixing ratio           (kg/kg)
[QS]    = snow ice content mixing ratio             (kg/kg)
[QG]    = graupel ice content mixing ratio          (kg/kg)
[QI]    = cloud ice content mixing ratio            (kg/kg)
[NR]    = rain water number concentration           (1/kg)
[NI]    = cloud ice number concentration            (1/kg)
[LATU]  = Latitude on the EW-wind grid              (degrees)
[LONGU] = Longitude on the EW-wind grid             (degrees)
[LATV]  = Latitude on the NS-wind grid              (degrees)
[LONGV] = Longitude on the NS-wind grid             (degrees)
[SST]   = Sea Surface Temperature                   (K)
[SWD]   = Shortwave down at the surface             (W/m^2)
[LWD]   = Longwave down at the surface              (W/m^2)
[SH]    = Sensible heat flux from the surface       (W/m^2)
[LH]    = Latent heat flux from the surface         (W/m^2)
[PBLH]  = Specified height of PBL                   (m)

Note that only Z or P need to be specified, as long as PSL or PS and HGT are specified, ICAR will compute one from the other. If it is given Z, it needs T to be real air temperature, not potential temperature.

2) High-resolution file (all variables are on the high-resolution grid ICAR will run on). This filename is specified in the options file as the (poorly named ) init_conditions_file.

Must [optionally] contain:

HGT     = Terrain Height                            (m)
LAT     = Latitude on ICAR mass grid                (degrees)
LONG    = Longitude on ICAR mass grid               (degrees)
[LATU]  = Latitude on the ICAR EW-staggered wind grid         (degrees)
[LONGU] = Longitude on the ICAR EW-staggered wind grid        (degrees)
[LATV]  = Latitude on the ICAR NS-staggered wind grid         (degrees)
[LONGV] = Longitude on the ICAR NS-staggered wind grid        (degrees)
[LU]    = Land use cover classification for land surface model
[SOIL]  = Soil type classification for land surface model

Must be in a (nearly) constant dx,dy projection (e.g. Lambert Conformal Conic)