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[Support #OQR-914852]: Processing NAM BUFR sounding files with NAMSND

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  • Subject: [Support #OQR-914852]: Processing NAM BUFR sounding files with NAMSND
  • Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2007 10:48:53 -0700
Kevin,

I heard back from NCEP regarding these issues you raised.

- NCEP will add the snclass1.prm file change in their 10.2 release. I will
add it in to the 10.1 release I have from them already.

- The namsnd issue relates to the fact that the files being posted on the server
are using big endian blocking so the program runs on solaris, but you are
having failures with the little endian linux. I was pointed to a utility which 
can 
be used to unblock the data, and then reblock the data. The trick however is 
that the 
data must be unblocked on a big endian machine, and then reblocked on a little 
endian machine.
This can be an immediate work around, but obviously an upgrade to the bufr 
library is
needed.

I got the code last week in between blizzards here, but with the holidays and 
closures, haven't
looked at building the utility yet. I'll add this utility to the 10.1 release 
but can pass
on the tar file to you now if you want to look at it.

Thanks for providing the information regarding these problems!

Steve Chiswell
Unidata User Support




> I regularly process NAM soundings from the NCEP FTP server (path:
> pub/data/nccf/com/nam/prod/nam.YYYYMMDD/bufr.HHz) with NAMSND.  I have
> found that in order to process them, $GEMTBL/pack/snclass1.prm needs to
> be modifed as follows:
> change the line
> TKEL   0.     40.      .01
> to
> TKEL   0.     40.      .01      1.        IMXR
> 
> As this modification needs to be done each time a new version of GEMPAK
> is enabled, can this change be added to future distributions?
> 
> Also, while NAMSND works fine on Sun Solaris, it always aborts on Linux:
> 
> SNBUFR    BUFR model sounding file          bufr.725180.2006120512
> SNOUTF    Output sounding file              06120512_nam.snd
> SFOUTF    Output surface file               06120512_nam.sfc+
> SNPRMF    Sounding parameter packing file   snclass1.prm
> SFPRMF    Surface parameter packing file    sfclass1.prm
> TIMSTN    Times/additional stations         120/200
> Parameters requested: SNBUFR,SNOUTF,SFOUTF,SNPRMF,SFPRMF,TIMSTN.
> GEMPAK-NAMSND>r
> 
> **************BUFR ARCHIVE LIBRARY ABORT*****************
> BUFRLIB: OPENBF - ERROR READING INPUT FILE CONNECTED TO UNIT  14 WHEN
> CHECKING FOR 'BUFR' IN FIRST 4 BYTES OF RECORD
> **************BUFR ARCHIVE LIBRARY ABORT*****************
> 
> Finally, is there another model sounding/BUFR program that I should be
> using instead of NAMSND?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Kevin
> 
> ______________________________________________________________________
> Kevin Tyle, Systems Administrator               **********************
> Dept. of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences           address@hidden
> University at Albany, ES-235                    518-442-4578 (voice)
> 1400 Washington Avenue                          518-442-5825 (fax)
> Albany, NY 12222                                **********************
> ______________________________________________________________________
> 
> 
> 


Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: OQR-914852
Department: Support GEMPAK
Priority: Critical
Status: Closed