Description of software

innovation_plot_v4.pro is an idl program that uses innovation files as input data. The results are shown as a set of coloured squares on a geographical map.

Location of source code

The IDL source code can be found at /home/h05/frbr/idl_source_code/innovation_plot_v4.pro

The code uses library routines written by Andy Heaps (NCAS, University of Reading) and these are accesssed by adding these two lines into your .profile file:

export IDL_PATH=+/usr/local/itt
. /data/nwp1/frbr/TIDLWorkspace/andy_lib/guide4.sh

Method of use - interactive usage

The user must supply information as follows:

1. Enter the full pathname of the innovation file
2. Specify whether a times-series (i.e. all times will be plotted in separate images, or a single plot (containing data from all times in the innovations file) is to be produced.
3. The user can output either (a) observations, (b) forecasts, or (c) obs-fcst values.
   • If forecasts are chosen, then results from one of the following must be selected: (a) a specific forecast, (b) the mean of all forecasts, or (c) the forecast standard deviation.
   • If obs-fcst values are chosen, then results from one of the following must be selected: (a) a specific forecast, or (b) the mean value of obs-fcst.
4. Next, the user must choose a valid observation group and, based on this choice, a valid observation type.
5. From the selection observation types, a valid level number must be selected. All the available levels can be selected, if required.
6. Finally, the times to be plotted must be selected - for time-series plots all the times must be selected.

Method of use - batch mode

1. The user should make a copy of the IDL source code in his/her working directory.
2. Next, create a text file called innovation_plot_controlfile in the working directory. This file should contain the following:

   107                                                ;first cycle
   110                                                ;last cycle
   /home/h05/frbr/datafiles/Innovations_qwq999.txt    ;typical full pathname
   1                              ; 0 single plot, 1 time series
   -999      ; 0 obs, 1>23 fcsts, 999 fcst mean, 995 fcst stdev, -1>-23 o-f, -999 o-f mean
   3                                                  ;selected group (aircraft, surface, etc)
   2                                                  ;selected type (pressure, theta, etc)
   -999.9         ; level selected, -999.9 denotes all levels
   -999.9         ; time selected, -999.9 denotes all times (not used for time series)
   

   where the records have been changed to reflect the input data and output requirements of the user. The text to the right of the ';' symbols can be kept as a reminder of the meaning of the data records.
3. The idl code can now been run in a batch job or, if run interactively, will loop through the specified cycles.

It is important that the user has some knowledge of the contents of the innovation files to be processed. Thus, if aircraft observations are selected for the batch job processing, and none of these are found at some time, then the job will crash.

Example output

The figure shows aircraft temperature observations at all levels for several cycles of a high resolution model run.

Current code developments

None.