README_AWIP20_ARM-00

FILE NAMING CONVENTION
awip20bin.[variable name].[year][month][day][hour]

VARIABLE NAMES
ACPCP:"Convective precipitation [kg/m^2]
APCP:"Total precipitation [kg/m^2]
DPT:"Dew point temp. [K]
HGT:"Geopotential height [gpm]
LAND:"Land cover (land=1;sea=0) [fraction]
MCONV:"Horizontal moisture divergence [kg/kg/s]
MSLET:"Mean sea level pressure (ETA model) [Pa]
MSTAV:"Moisture availability [%]
PRES:"Pressure [Pa]
RH:"Relative humidity [%]
SOILM:"Soil moisture content [kg/m^2]
SOILW:"Volumetric soil moisture [fraction]
SPFH:"Specific humidity [kg/kg]
TMP:"Temp. [K]
TSOIL:"Soil temp. [K]
UGRD:"u wind [m/s]
VGRD:"v wind [m/s]

FILE FORMAT
All files are binary files containing a data map for each available pressure level and time step for each field study day occurring in the month. All available pressure level maps for a time step are written starting with the first pressure level listed below and continuing up through the list. Then the maps for the next time step begin. There are 4 bytes before and after each data map.

AVAILABLE PRESSURE LEVELS
Dew point temp. data are available at 300, 400, 500, 700, 850, and 1000 mb. 
Volumetric soil moisture data are available at 0-10, 10-40, 40-100, 100-200 cm down. 
Soil temp. data are available at 0-10, 10-40, 40-100, 100-200, 300 cm down. 
Horizontal moisture divergence data are available at 850 and 950 mb. 
Geopotential height data are available at surface, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, 375, 400, 425, 450, 475, 500, 525, 550, 575, 600, 625, 650, 675, 700, 725, 750, 775, 800, 825, 850, 875, 900, 925, 950, 975, and 1000 mb. 
Relative humidity, Specific humidity, u wind and v wind data are available at 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, 375, 400, 425, 450, 475, 500, 525, 550, 575, 600, 625, 650, 675, 700, 725, 750, 775, 800, 825, 850, 875, 900, 925, 950, 975, and 1000 mb. 
Temperature data are available at 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, 375, 400, 425, 450, 475, 500, 525, 550, 575, 600, 625, 650, 675, 700, 725, 750, 775, 800, 825, 850, 875, 900, 925, 950, 975, 1000 mb, and at surface. 
Convective precipitation, Total precipitation, Land cover, Mean sea level pressure (ETA model), Moisture availability, Pressure and Soil moisture content data are available at a single level only.

SPATIAL COVERAGE AND RESOLUTION
For a detailed description of the grid and coordinates, go to http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/docs/on388/tableb.html#GRID215. The data proceeds from the northernmost, easternmost point in an eastward direction first and then southward.

TEMPORAL COVERAGE AND RESOLUTION
Two sets of data maps are available for each day, 00 UTC and  12 UTC.

ORIGINAL DATASET REFERENCES
This dataset was provided by Brad Ferrier of NOAA in Dec 2002.