NetCDF MDR Radar File

This type of file is generated by the radcvt program for use with the WXP radar display programs.

FORMAT

The netCDF data contains the same information as the WXP ASCII format. The information is laid out in the file using the following CDL structure:

netcdf 06031197_rad {
dimensions:
	mdr_x = 120 ;
	mdr_y = 90 ;
	id_len = 12 ;
	radar_len = 12 ;
	time_len = 16 ;
	rpt_type_len = 4 ;
	maxcover = 3 ;
	maxprecip = 3 ;
	maxazran = 8 ;
	maxwidth = 4 ;
	maxmove = 4 ;
	maxheight = 8 ;
	report = UNLIMITED ; // (126 currently)

variables:
	char mdr_time(time_len) ;
		mdr_time:long_name = "MDR summary time" ;
		mdr_time:units = "YYYYMMDDHHMM UTC" ;
	float lon(mdr_x, mdr_y) ;
		lon:long_name = "longitude" ;
		lon:units = "degrees_east" ;
	float lat(mdr_x, mdr_y) ;
		lat:long_name = "latitude" ;
		lat:units = "degrees_north" ;
	byte mdr(mdr_x, mdr_y) ;
		mdr:long_name = "manually digitized radar summary" ;
	long rpt_date ;
		rpt_date:long_name = "report date" ;
		rpt_date:units = "YYYYDDMM UTC" ;
	char id(report, id_len) ;
		id:long_name = "station ID" ;
	long rpt_time(report) ;
		rpt_time:long_name = "report time" ;
		rpt_time:units = "HHMM UTC" ;
	char radar_type(report, radar_len) ;
		radar_type:long_name = "radar type" ;
	byte opstat(report) ;
		opstat:long_name = "operational status" ;
		opstat:units = "ennumerated in rarep.h" ;
	char rpt_type(report, rpt_type_len) ;
		rpt_type:long_name = "report type" ;
	byte object(report) ;
		object:long_name = "echo object" ;
		object:units = "ennumerated in rarep.h" ;
	byte ncover(report) ;
		ncover:long_name = "number of coverage-groups" ;
	byte coverage(report, maxcover) ;
		coverage:long_name = "amount of coverage" ;
		coverage:units = "1/10" ;
	byte nprecip(report, maxcover) ;
		nprecip:long_name = "number of precipitation-types" ;
	byte precip_type(report, maxcover, maxprecip) ;
		precip_type:long_name = "precipitation type" ;
		precip_type:units = "ennumerated in rarep.h" ;
	byte intensity(report, maxcover, maxprecip) ;
		intensity:long_name = "echo intensity" ;
		intensity:units = "ennumerated in rarep.h" ;
	byte trend(report) ;
		trend:long_name = "intensity trend" ;
		trend:units = "ennumerated in rarep.h" ;
	byte nazran(report) ;
		nazran:long_name = "number of AZRANs" ;
	byte nwidth(report) ;
		nwidth:long_name = "number of widths" ;
	byte nmove(report) ;
		nmove:long_name = "number of movements" ;
	byte nheight(report) ;
		nheight:long_name = "number of heights" ;
	float azimuth(report, maxazran) ;
		azimuth:long_name = "echo-object azimuth" ;
		azimuth:units = "degrees" ;
	float range(report, maxazran) ;
		range:long_name = "echo-object range" ;
		range:units = "kilometers" ;
	float height(report, maxheight) ;
		height:long_name = "echo-object altitude" ;
		height:units = "meters" ;
	float width(report, maxwidth) ;
		width:long_name = "echo-object width" ;
		width:units = "kilometers" ;
	float move_speed(report, maxmove) ;
		move_speed:long_name = "echo-object movement-speed" ;
		move_speed:units = "m/s" ;
	float move_dir(report, maxmove) ;
		move_dir:long_name = "echo-object movement-direction" ;
		move_dir:units = "degrees" ;

// global attributes:
		:title = "radar observations" ;
		:version = "2.0" ;
		:history = "Radar converted file from WXP decoders" ;
}

FILES

• rad.cty -- used to located radar sites on the LFM grid

SEE ALSO

• radcvt
• rad