Re: 20041028: GEMPAK bug with ETA 104 grids in GARP and dcgrib

Steve,

You are correct, dcgrib2, decodes these files properly and they are
then fully readable in GARP.

Thanks,

David

On Thu, Oct 28, 2004 at 12:53:33PM -0600, Unidata Support wrote:
> 
> David,
> 
> Dcgrib is depricated, which is what you show in your decode action. 
> Please use dcgrib2. The sample pqact.conf actions I provide
> for realtime all use dcgrib2 for reference. I have verified under 
> Linux with 5.7.3 here that the pressure levels at 25mb intervals
> are available for vertical coordinate pressure.
> 
> NCEP began adding newer tables 129 and 130 in the past year.
> Older versions of GEMPAK do not have these tables. The wmo
> portion is consistent with table 2, as reflected by the link.
> The NCEP specific parameters (128-255 are new, and require
> ncepgrib129.tbl and ncepgrib130.tbl, which are not the same
> as ncepgrib2.tbl.
> 
> The new parameters also  may use level types that are not backward 
> supported by dcgrib, which may be the source of your trouble.
> 
> Steve CHiswell
> Unidata User Support
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> >From: David Ovens <address@hidden>
> >Organization: UCAR/Unidata
> >Keywords: 200410281838.i9SIcovV016199
> 
> >Hello,
> >
> >SUMMARY: I have narrowed this error down to
> >         $GEMTBL/grid/wmogrib129.tbl.  In our 5.6.L and 5.7.2p2
> >         distributions, this file is just a link to the wmogrib2.tbl.
> >         The presence of this link allows dcgrib to run without
> >         complaint; however, the file generated produces an error in
> >         GARP such that vertical levels cannot be selected when
> >         plotting model plan projections.
> >
> >In GEMPAK 5.6.L and 5.7.2p2 I am seeing a problem with ETA 104 grids
> >(these are the fh.0000_tl.press_gr.grbgrd grids found in CONDUIT
> >SL.us008001/ST.opnl/MT.eta_CY.00/RD.20041028/PT.grid_DF.gr1/
> >directories) in GARP.  The grids come up and will display, but I am
> >unable to change the vertical pressure levels when I plot a model plan
> >projection.  Both of the 'Level 1' and 'Level 2' buttons are off and
> >my Linux X terminal shows the following error message once I select
> >the ETA 104 grid file:
> >
> >163 frosty% G A R P - v2.1 starting...
> >  CreateGridInfoObject: getnxtgrd ret -3
> >
> >Here's how I created the GEMPAK file in the first place.
> >
> >44 frosty% dcgrib -d - -m 9999 -g $GEMTBL PACK
> >$HDS/2004102812_test.gem < fh.0000_tl.press_gr.grbgrd
> > Changing center table to cntrgrib1.tbl
> > Changing vertical coord table to vcrdgrib1.tbl
> > Changing WMO parameter table to wmogrib2.tbl
> > Changing center parameter table to ncepgrib2.tbl
> > Changing center table to cntrgrib1.tbl
> > Changing vertical coord table to vcrdgrib1.tbl
> > Changing WMO parameter table to wmogrib129.tbl
> > Changing center parameter table to ncepgrib129.tbl
> > Changing center table to cntrgrib1.tbl
> > Changing vertical coord table to vcrdgrib1.tbl
> > Changing WMO parameter table to wmogrib2.tbl
> > Changing center parameter table to ncepgrib2.tbl
> > Changing center table to cntrgrib1.tbl
> > Changing vertical coord table to vcrdgrib1.tbl
> > Changing WMO parameter table to wmogrib129.tbl
> > Changing center parameter table to ncepgrib129.tbl
> > Changing center table to cntrgrib1.tbl
> > Changing vertical coord table to vcrdgrib1.tbl
> > Changing WMO parameter table to wmogrib2.tbl
> > Changing center parameter table to ncepgrib2.tbl
> >
> >Note that I have never seen so many repetitions of these messages
> >before for a single grid file.
> >
> >It appears that this bug crept in between 5.6.H and 5.6.L, because I
> >went ahead and did the above procedures running GEMPAK 5.6.H on the
> >same machines and Garp works fine with the file that 5.6.H dcgrib
> >creates -- it still has the same problem with the 5.6.L-created file,
> >however.  
> >
> >Note the difference in the output from dcgrib for 5.6.H:
> >
> >113 frosty% dcgrib -d - -m 9999 -g $GEMTBL PACK /tmp/2004102812_test.gem <
> >fh.0000_tl.press_gr.grbgrd
> > Changing center table to cntrgrib1.tbl
> > Changing vertical coord table to vcrdgrib1.tbl
> > Changing WMO parameter table to wmogrib2.tbl
> > Changing center parameter table to ncepgrib2.tbl
> > Changing center table to cntrgrib1.tbl
> > Changing vertical coord table to vcrdgrib1.tbl
> > Changing WMO parameter table to wmogrib129.tbl
> > [NA -1]  The table wmogrib129.tbl cannot be opened.
> > [NA -1]  The table wmogrib129.tbl cannot be opened.
> >Oct 28 18:09:35 dcgrib[21382]: can't open grib tables, set GEMTBL -14
> >114 frosty% garp
> >G A R P - v2.1 starting...
> >
> >This made me wonder about the *129.tbl files.  Not having it created a
> >fully GARP-readable file, but caused dcgrib to complain.  Having it
> >seemed to create a partially GARP-readable file, while allowing dcgrib
> >to run without complaint.  So, I looked in 5.6.L and 5.7.2p2 and saw
> >that this file was simply a link to wmogrib2.tbl.  When I created this
> >link in my 5.6.H location, and reran dcgrib.  dcgrib did not complain
> >and that GEMPAK file exhibited the same unselectable level problem in
> >GARP.
> >
> >
> >David
> >-- 
> >David Ovens           e-mail: address@hidden
> >Research Meteorologist    phone: (206) 685-8108
> >Dept of Atm. Sciences      plan: Real-time MM5 forecasting for the
> >Box 351640                        Pacific Northwest
> >University of Washington          http://www.atmos.washington.edu/mm5rt
> >Seattle, WA  98195               Weather Graphics and Loops
> >                                  
> > http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~ovens/loops
> >
> --
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-- 
David Ovens              e-mail: address@hidden
Research Meteorologist    phone: (206) 685-8108
Dept of Atm. Sciences      plan: Real-time MM5 forecasting for the
Box 351640                        Pacific Northwest
University of Washington          http://www.atmos.washington.edu/mm5rt
Seattle, WA  98195               Weather Graphics and Loops
                                  http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~ovens/loops