UA_PARSE
Sections
NAME
ua_parse - Upper air data display program
SYNOPSIS
ua_parse [parameters...] filename
PARAMETERS
| Command Line | Resource | Default | Description |
| -h | help | No | Lists basic help information. |
| -df=filename | default | .wxpdef | Sets the name of the resource file. |
| -na=name | name | ua_parse | Specifies the name used in resource file parsing. |
| -ba | batch | No | Run program in batch mode |
| -me=level | message | out2 | Specifies level of messages to be displayed
|
| -fp=filepath | file_path | current directory | Specifies location of database files. |
| -dp=datapath | data_path | current directory | Specifies the location (path) of the input raw data files. This may be modified in the name convention file. |
| -cp=conpath | con_path | current directory | Specifies the location (path) of the input surface converted data files. This may be modified in the name convention file. |
| -rp=rawpath | raw_path | current directory | Specifies the location of the output raw files generated by the program. These files will not be generated unless the out_file resource is specified and the output is plotted data. |
| -nc=name_conv | name_conv | name_conv | The name convention file specifies how files are named in WXP. This sets which name convention file to use. |
| -if=in_file | in_file | upa_cvt | Specifies the input file name tag. The default is upa_cvt, but it can be modified to any value in the filename convention file. A full name convention can be specified as well. |
| -of=out_file[,out...] | out_file | upa_snd | Specifies what type of raw sounding file to create. By default, no output file is generated when the program. This specifies an output file name tag. The default is upa_snd. A full filename can be specified which can contain name convention tags. |
| -cu=[hour|la] | current | None | This specifies to use current data files. The current filename is based on the name convention. An optional hour can be specified for older data. If la is specified, the program will search back to find the most recent available file. |
| -ho=hour | hour | None | This resource specifies the exact hour that a data file is valid for. This locks in the start hour for a multi-file sequence. |
| -id=identifier | identifier | None | Specifies the station to use in the program.Used to plot a specific observation. If not specified, all stations will be plotted. |
| -pp=param[,param...] | plot_param | None | Specifies additional plotting parameters. See the plot_param resource for more details. |
| filename[#seq] | filename | None User Pompt Batch: current=la |
The name of the upper air converted data file to be plotted. An optional sequence number can be added to designate the time for non-WXP files. |
DESCRIPTION
This program displays upper air sounding data. The input to the program is a upper air converted file produced by the uacvt programs.
The programs starts off by prompting the user for input converted file name. The user may specify the input file either via the command line of through the current resource. The input naming convention is specified by the upa_cvt tag but this can be changed with the in_file resource.
Next, the user enters a station identifier. A list of available stations from the converted file is displayed. The stations are listed by their 3/4 letter IDs and not the 5 digit WMO number for ease of selection. Once the station is selected, the program prints out sounding information, and standard sounding parameters and indices.
Text Output
The first section is the station location information which is printed at message level out1a:
Date:0000Z 30 SEP 97 Station: ILX WMO ident: 74560 Latitude: 40.15 Longitude: -89.33 Elevation: 178.00
The next section is the raw sounding data. This is a merged set of mandatory and significant level data. Additional computations are performed. Here is a list of the columns printed (all printed at mess level out1a [see red text] unless specified)
- LEV -- level number. Special levels are denoted with SFC (surface), TRP (tropopause), WND (max wind).
- PRES -- pressure of level in mb
- HGHT -- geopotential height in m (intermediate levels interpolated using hypsometric approximation)
- TEMP -- temperature in C
- DEWP -- dewpoint in C
- RH -- relative humidity in %
- DD -- dewpoint depression in C (mess level out1b)
- WETB -- wetbulb temperature in C (mess level out1b)
- DIR -- wind direction in deg (intermediate levels interpolated using significant wind level data)
- SPD -- wind speed in knt (intermediate levels interpolated using significant wind level data)
- THETA -- potential temperature in K (mess level out1b)
- THE-V -- virtual potential temperature in K (mess level out1b)
- THE-W -- wetbulb potential temperature in K (mess level out1b)
- THE-E -- equivalent potential temperature in K (mess level out1b)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEV PRES HGHT TEMP DEWP RH DD WETB DIR SPD THETA THE-V THE-W THE-E W
mb m C C % C C deg knt K K K K g/kg
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 1000 -1
SFC 980 178 26.4 6.4 28 20.0 14.7 280 19 301.3 302.4 288.6 319.7 6.15
2 925 678 22.2 2.2 27 20.0 11.3 280 47 302.0 302.9 287.6 316.6 4.85
3 850 1403 15.2 -0.8 33 16.0 7.1 280 46 302.1 302.8 287.1 315.0 4.24
4 700 3001 0.0 -6.0 64 6.0 -2.6 295 50 302.5 303.1 286.5 313.2 3.49
...
The next section displays standard sounding parameters and indices. Most of the information is printed at message level out1d except for thickness, lifted, Showalter, total totals and K indices which is at message level out1c (red text).
Sounding variables and indices 1000-500 mb thick: 5631.00 m Freezing level: 700.00 mb = 3001.00 m = 9845.68 ft Wetbulb zero: 740.60 mb = 2536.94 m = 8323.18 ft Precipitable water: 0.65 inches Sfc-500 mean rel hum: 36.73 % Est. max temperature: 27.28 C = 81.10 F Sfc-Lift cond lev (LCL): 729.89 mb = 2656.89 m = 8716.74 ft T: 3.27 C 700-500 lapse rate: 4.68 C/km ThetaE index: 11.23 C Layer 925.0- 598.0 mb Conv cond level (CCL): 689.45 mb = 3121.77 m = 10241.90 ft Mean mixing ratio: 5.11 g/kg Conv temperature: 27.64 C = 81.75 F Cap Strength: 3.86 C Lifted Index: 5.67 C Risk: None Lifted Index @300 mb: 7.03 C Lifted Index @700 mb: 0.59 C Showalter Index: 6.96 C Risk: None Total Totals Index: 39.00 C Risk: None Vertical Totals Index: 27.50 C Cross Totals Index: 11.50 C K Index: 20.70 Risk: 20-40 % chance of thunderstorms Sweat Index: 178.00 Risk: None Energy Index: 1.12 Risk: None
The next section involves a parcel trajectory. The parcel is taken from some initial condition and raised vertically to the top of the sounding. The default parcel uses a 100 mb mean layer above the surface. The parcel type can be changed with the par plot parameter:
par=pres:temp:dew
Temperature and dewpoint are optional. If not specified, the sounding temperature
and dewpoint are used.
| Type | Pres | Temp | Dew |
| pressure level | pres | temp | dew |
| surface level | sfc | temp | dew |
| max temperature | maxt | -- | -- |
| pressure layer | layer | thick | -- |
The data are printed at message level out2b except for CAPE, convective inhibition and cap strength which is printed at level out2a (red text).
Parcel Indices Parcel: using 100 mb layer CAPE (B+): 10.89 J/kg Max Up Vert Vel: 4.67 m/s Conv Inhibition (B-): 30.45 J/kg Cap Strength: 5.49 C Lift Cond Lev (LCL): 696.21 mb = 3044.15 m = 9987.25 ft Lev Free Conv (LFC): 681.21 mb = 3217.42 m = 10555.70 ft Equ Level (EL): 631.21 mb = 3818.50 m = 12527.73 ft B at Equ Level: 7.84 J/kg Max Parcel Lev (MPL): 611.21 mb = 4071.09 m = 13356.44 ft
The next section displays significant wind level data. Storm relative winds are computed based on a mean storm motion. This is computed using the mean wind of the lower 6km of the atmosphere. The storm direction is deflected 30 deg clockwise and the speed is 75% of the 6km mean speed. The output is at message level out3a (red text) except for the storm relative winds which is at out3b.
Wind level data
Storm motion: 325 at 43 knt
----------------------------------------------------------
TRUE/GROUND REL | STORM REL
LEV P H DIR SPD U V | DIR SPD U V
mb m knt m/s | knt m/s
----------------------------------------------------------
0 980 178 280 19 18.7 -3.3 | 170 32 -5.6 31.9
1 966 305 280 30 29.5 -5.2 | 190 30 5.3 30.0
2 932 610 275 46 45.8 -4.0 | 215 38 21.6 31.2
3 925 678 280 47 46.3 -8.2 | 219 35 22.0 27.0
...
The next section is wind parameters and indices. This is printed at message level out2d except for mean winds, storm direction, helicity and energy-helicity index which are at level out2c (red text)
Wind Parameters
Mean winds (0-6000m): 295.4 at 57.0 knts
Storm direction: 325.4 at 42.8 knts
Shear (0-3000m) pos: 2.6 neg: 4.7 tot: 7.3 10-3/s
Storm rel Dir Shear (0-3000m): 69.6 deg
Storm rel helicity (0-3000m) pos: 310.7 neg: -7.0 tot: 303.7 m^2/s^2
ave: 101.2 10^-3 m/s^2 rel: 0.84
Storm rel vorticity (0-3000m) horiz: 8.0 stream: 6.7 10^-3/s
Energy-Hel index: 0.02
Bulk Rich Number: 0.13
Bulk Shear: 85.84 m/s
The next section shows storm layer parameters. All of this information is printed at message level out3c.
Storm Parameters ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Depth Mean Inflow| Shear | Helicity | Vorticity AGL Dir Spd Dir Spd| Pos Neg Tot| Pos Neg Tot Ave Rel | Hor Strm m knt knt| 10^-3/s | m^2/s^2 m/s^2 | 10^-3/s ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 500 278 36 200 32| 0.0 28.8 28.8|225.6 0.0 225.6 451.2 1.00| 29.7 29.6 1000 279 41 210 33| 0.0 14.0 14.0|225.6 -7.0 218.6 218.6 0.94| 15.3 14.4 1500 280 43 213 33| 0.9 9.3 10.2|229.6 -7.0 222.6 148.4 0.88| 11.1 9.8 2000 281 44 215 33| 1.1 7.0 8.1|249.4 -7.0 242.5 121.2 0.89| 9.0 7.9 2500 282 45 217 32| 1.7 5.6 7.3|280.2 -7.0 273.2 109.3 0.89| 8.0 7.1 3000 284 45 219 31| 2.6 4.7 7.3|310.7 -7.0 303.7 101.2 0.84| 8.0 6.7 4000 289 47 225 28| 2.8 4.6 7.3|351.2 -7.0 344.3 86.1 0.75| 7.9 6.0 5000 294 51 237 26| 3.3 4.6 7.9|458.4 -7.0 451.4 90.3 0.73| 8.5 6.2 6000 295 57 248 29| 2.7 5.6 8.4|458.4-100.4 358.0 59.7 0.50| 9.0 4.5
EXAMPLES
ua_parse -cu=la -id=ILX -de=d
This displays sounding data for ILX.
FILES
- upa.cty - the surface station location database file
SEE ALSO
Last updated Sept 29, 1997