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20041006: NEXRAD station elevations in McIDAS STNLIST
- Subject: 20041006: NEXRAD station elevations in McIDAS STNLIST
- Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2004 10:09:47 -0600
>From: Don Murray <address@hidden>
>Organization: UCAR/Unidata
>Keywords: 200410061525.i96FOxUF010647 McIDAS STNDB NEXRAD elevations
Don,
>The station elevations for most of the NEXRAD stations in
>McIDAS seem to be wrong. Comparing with the GEMPAK list
>(and spotty checks with the online NWS documentation), most
>elevations are listed as too high (some off by almost 1000 meters).
>Even adding in the antenna height does not account for
>the discrepency. I've attached a comparison of McIDAS and
>GEMPAK elevations. McIDAS data was gotten using:
>
>STNLIST CO=US TYPE=N
I am CCing this to SSEC.
Several years ago, before the McIDAS station table included NEXRAD
information, I generated an ASCII table of NEXRAD station information
from values I snarfed from an NWS web site; I have been including that
table in my distributions ever since. A quick check of a few stations
shows that the elevations in the file ~mcidas/data/NEXRAD.DAT seem to
show favorable comparisons with the values you list from GEMPAK. I
will compare the rest of the location and elevation values against what
the NWS has on their NEXRAD web pages.
Interestingly, the ratio of the McIDAS STNDB NEXRAD elevations to
the GEMPAK elevations is nearly constant:
ID eleG/eleM ratio
---+-----------+-----
ABC 61/49 = 1.25
ABR 501/397 = 1.26
ABX 2258/1789 = 1.26
ACG 79/63 = 1.25
AEC 20/16 = 1.25
AHG 93/74 = 1.26
(I only checked the first 6; the other ratios may differ).
I don't know if this is significant, but it "feels" as though there
should be a simple reason for the difference.
>I removed some of the information from the output and added
>another column for the corresponding GEMPAK elevations for
>each station. I have not verified all of the GEMPAK elevations,
>nor checked consistency for lat/lon information.
>
>This came up as an IDV user support question since we used
>the output of the STNLIST command to generate the IDV nexrad
>station list. We'll switch to using the GEMPAK table for the
>next release.
> ID Station Name LAT LON ELE GEMPAK ELE
> ----- -------------------- ---------- ---------- ---- ----------
> ABC BETHEL 60:47:31 161:52:35 61 49
> ABR ABERDEEN 45:27:21 98:24:47 501 397
> ABX ALBUQUERQUE 35:08:59 106:49:26 2258 1789
> ACG JUNEAU 56:51:10 135:31:45 79 63
> AEC Nome 64:30:41 165:17:42 20 16
> AHG KENAI 60:43:33 151:21:05 93 74
> AIH MIDDLETON ISLAND 59:27:41 146:18:11 25 20
> AKC KING SALMON 58:40:46 156:37:46 24 19
> AKQ WAKEFIELD 36:59:02 77:00:26 43 34
> AMA AMARILLO 35:14:00 101:42:33 1380 1093
> AMX MIAMI 25:36:40 80:24:46 5 4
> APD FAIRBANKS 65:02:06 147:30:06 997 790
> APX NORTH CENTRAL LOWER 44:54:26 84:43:11 563 446
> ARX LA CROSSE 43:49:22 91:11:28 491 389
> ATX SEATTLE/TACOMA 48:11:40 122:29:45 190 151
> BBX Beale Air Force Base 39:29:46 121:37:54 66 53
> BGM BINGHAMTON 42:11:59 75:59:05 617 490
> BHX EUREKA 40:29:54 124:17:31 924 732
> BIS BISMARCK 46:46:15 100:45:38 637 505
> BLX BILLINGS 45:51:14 108:36:24 1384 1097
> BMX BIRMINGHAM 33:10:20 86:46:11 248 197
> BOX BOSTON 41:57:21 71:08:13 45 46
> BRO BROWNSVILLE 25:54:58 97:25:08 8 7
> BUF BUFFALO 42:56:56 78:44:12 266 211
> BYX Key West 24:35:51 81:42:11 3 2
> CAE COLUMBIA 33:56:55 81:07:06 88 70
> CBW Caribou 46:02:21 67:48:23 287 227
> CBX BOISE 43:29:26 116:14:08 1177 933
> CCX CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA 40:55:23 78:00:13 925 733
> CLE CLEVELAND 41:24:47 81:51:35 293 233
> CLX CHARLESTON 32:39:20 81:02:32 37 30
> CRP CORPUS CHRISTI 27:47:03 97:30:40 17 14
> CXX BURLINGTON 44:30:40 73:10:01 121 97
> CYS CHEYENNE 41:09:07 104:48:22 2358 1868
> DAX SACRAMENTO 38:30:04 121:40:40 11 9
> DDC DODGE CITY 37:45:39 99:58:08 996 789
> DFX Laughlin Air Force B 29:16:22 100:16:50 435 345
> DGX Brandon 32:16:47 89:59:03 150 186
> DIX PHILADELPHIA 39:56:49 74:24:39 57 45
> DLH DULUTH 46:50:13 92:12:35 549 435
> DMX DES MOINES 41:43:52 93:43:22 377 299
> DOX Dover Air Force Base 38:49:32 75:26:23 19 15
> DTX DETROIT 42:41:59 83:28:18 412 327
> DVN QUAD CITIES 41:36:42 90:34:51 290 230
> DYX SAN ANGELO 32:32:18 99:15:16 583 462
> EAX KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT 38:48:37 94:15:52 382 303
> EMX TUCSON 31:53:37 110:37:49 2002 1586
> ENX ALBANY 42:35:11 74:03:50 702 557
> EOX FORT RUCKER 31:27:38 85:27:34 167 132
> EPZ EL PASO 31:52:23 106:41:53 1579 1251
> ESX LAS VEGAS 35:42:04 114:53:29 1872 1483
> EVX Northern Florida 30:33:52 85:55:17 53 43
> EWX AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO 29:42:14 98:01:42 243 193
> EYX Edwards Air Force Ba 35:05:52 117:33:39 1060 840
> FCX ROANOKE 37:01:28 80:16:26 1103 874
> FDR Frederick 34:21:44 98:58:35 487 386
> FDX Cannon Air Force Bas 34:38:07 103:37:48 1789 1417
> FFC ATLANTA 33:21:49 84:33:57 330 262
> FSD SIOUX FALLS 43:35:16 96:43:46 550 436
> FSX FLAGSTAFF 34:34:28 111:11:52 2854 2261
> FTG DENVER/BOULDER 39:47:12 104:32:45 1676 1675
> FWS DALLAS/FORT WORTH 32:34:23 97:18:11 262 208
> GGW GLASGOW 48:12:23 106:37:30 875 694
> GJX GRAND JUNCTION 39:03:44 108:12:50 3844 3045
> GLD GOODLAND 39:22:01 101:42:01 1404 1113
> GRB GREEN BAY 44:29:54 88:06:41 262 208
> GRK Central Texas 30:43:19 97:22:59 207 164
> GRR GRAND RAPIDS 42:53:38 85:32:41 299 237
> GSP GREENVILLE/SPARTANBU 34:53:00 82:13:12 361 287
> GUA GUAM 13:27:16 -144:48:30 101 80
> GWX Columbus Air Force B 33:53:48 88:19:44 183 145
> GYX PORTLAND 43:53:29 70:15:23 157 125
> HDX Holloman Air Force B 33:04:35 106:07:22 1624 1286
> HGX HOUSTON/GALVESTON 29:28:19 95:04:45 6 5
> HKI Kauai 21:53:39 159:33:08 68 55
> HKM Kohala 20:07:32 155:46:40 1466 1162
> HMO Molokai 21:07:58 157:10:48 524 415
> HNX SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY 36:18:51 119:37:56 93 74
> HPX Fort Campbell 36:44:12 87:17:06 221 176
> HTX NORTHERN ALABAMA 34:55:50 86:05:00 677 536
> HWA South Shore Hawaii 19:05:42 155:34:08 531 421
> ICT WICHITA 37:39:17 97:26:34 513 407
> ICX Cedar City 37:35:27 112:51:44 230 3231
> ILN CINCINNATI 39:25:13 83:49:18 406 322
> ILX CENTRAL ILLINOIS 40:09:02 89:20:13 223 177
> IND INDIANAPOLIS 39:42:27 86:16:49 303 241
> INX TULSA 36:10:30 95:33:53 257 204
> IWA PHOENIX 33:17:21 111:40:12 520 412
> IWX NORTHERN INDIANA 41:21:32 85:42:00 369 293
> JAN JACKSON 32:19:04 90:04:48 114 91
> JAX JACKSONVILLE 30:29:05 81:42:07 12 10
> JGX Robins Air Force Bas 32:40:31 83:21:04 200 159
> JKL JACKSON 37:35:27 83:18:47 524 416
> JUA SAN JUAN 18:06:56 66:04:41 1075 852
> LBB LUBBOCK 33:39:15 101:48:51 1254 993
> LCH LAKE CHARLES 30:07:31 93:12:57 5 4
> LIX NEW ORLEANS/BATON RO 30:20:12 89:49:32 9 7
> LNX NORTH PLATTE 41:57:28 100:34:35 1142 905
> LOT CHICAGO 41:36:17 88:05:05 255 202
> LRX ELKO 40:44:23 116:48:10 2595 2056
> LSX ST. LOUIS 38:41:56 90:40:58 233 185
> LTX WILMINGTON 33:59:22 78:25:44 24 30
> LVX LOUISVILLE 37:58:31 85:56:38 276 219
> LWX BALTIMORE 38:58:31 77:28:40 104 83
> LZK LITTLE ROCK 34:50:11 92:15:44 218 173
> MAF MIDLAND/ODESSA 31:56:36 102:11:21 1103 874
> MAX MEDFORD 42:04:52 122:43:02 2891 2290
> MBX Minot Air Force Base 48:23:33 100:51:54 574 455
> MHX MOREHEAD CITY 34:46:34 76:52:34 11 9
> MKX MILWAUKEE 42:58:04 88:33:02 368 292
> MLB MELBOURNE 28:06:48 80:39:15 13 11
> MOB MOBILE 30:40:46 88:14:23 80 63
> MPX MINNEAPOLIS 44:50:56 93:33:56 364 288
> MQT MARQUETTE 46:31:52 87:32:54 542 430
> MRX KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES 36:10:07 83:24:06 514 408
> MSX MISSOULA 47:02:28 113:59:10 3022 2394
> MTX SALT LAKE CITY 41:15:46 112:26:52 2485 1969
> MUX SAN FRANCISCO BAY AR 37:09:19 121:53:54 1334 1057
> MVX EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA 47:31:40 97:19:32 379 301
> MXX EASTERN ALABAMA 32:32:12 85:47:23 153 122
> NKX SAN DIEGO 32:55:08 117:02:31 367 291
> NQA MEMPHIS 35:20:41 89:52:24 108 86
> OAX OMAHA 41:19:13 96:22:00 441 350
> OHX NASHVILLE 36:14:50 86:33:45 222 176
> OKX NEW YORK CITY 40:51:56 72:51:50 32 26
> OTX SPOKANE 47:40:49 117:37:36 917 727
> PAH PADUCAH 37:04:06 88:46:19 150 119
> PBZ PITTSBURGH 40:31:54 80:13:05 455 361
> PDT PENDLETON 45:41:26 118:51:10 582 462
> POE Fort Polk 31:09:20 92:58:33 156 124
> PUX PUEBLO 38:27:34 104:10:53 1600 1600
> RAX RALEIGH/DURHAM 35:39:56 78:29:23 133 106
> RGX RENO 39:45:15 119:27:44 3193 2530
> RIW RIVERTON 43:03:58 108:28:38 2142 1697
> RLX CHARLESTON 38:18:40 81:43:23 415 329
> RTX PORTLAND 45:42:53 122:57:55 604 479
> SFX POCATELLO/IDAHO FALL 43:06:21 112:41:10 1721 1364
> SGF SPRINGFIELD 37:14:07 93:24:02 491 390
> SHV SHREVEPORT 32:27:03 93:50:29 105 83
> SJT SAN ANGELO 31:22:17 100:29:33 727 576
> SOX Santa Ana Mountains 33:49:04 117:38:09 1164 923
> SRX Western Arkansas/For 35:17:26 94:21:42 246 195
> TBW TAMPA BAY AREA 27:42:20 82:24:06 15 12
> TFX GREAT FALLS 47:27:35 111:23:07 1429 1132
> TLH TALLAHASSEE 30:23:51 84:19:44 24 19
> TLX OKLAHOMA CITY 35:19:59 97:16:40 466 370
> TWX TOPEKA 38:59:49 96:13:57 526 417
> TYX Montague 43:45:21 75:40:48 709 562
> UDX RAPID CITY 44:07:30 102:49:47 1160 919
> UEX HASTINGS 40:19:15 98:26:31 760 602
> VAX Moody Air Force Base 30:53:25 83:00:06 68 54
> VBX Vandenberg Air Force 34:50:17 120:23:49 470 373
> VNX Vance Air Force Base 36:44:27 98:07:40 465 369
> VTX LOS ANGELES 34:24:42 119:10:46 1048 831
> VWX Evansville 38:15:37 87:43:28 187 190
> YUX Yuma 32:29:43 114:39:24 66 53
Tom
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>From address@hidden Wed Oct 6 10:37:44 2004
Thanks, Tom.
I too was thinking that there must be a consistent reason for
the offset (higher elevations having higher spreads in actual
differences). I was thinking maybe it was a transpose in the
code to go from feet to meters or something like that. Also,
I noted that GEMPAK seems to have truncated the station elevations
rather than rounded them.
I'll take a look at the other table you mentioned.
Don