RIP Diagnosis and Visualization Software
for WRF Model Output
Mark Stoelinga
University of Washington
Collaborators:
Jim Dudhia, James Bresch, Wei Wang, Kevin Manning,
and David Gill
NCAR/MMM
When will RIP
be available for
analyzing WRF
model output?
What is RIP?
• Stands for “Read/Interpolate/Plot”
• Software package for displaying and analyzing
raw output and derived variables from mesoscale
models
• Developed from 1991-2001 at NCAR and U Wash
• Currently configured to process all versions of
MM4/MM5 model output
Why is RIP a good candidate as a
visualization tool for WRF model output?
• Highly portable
• Currently used by many individuals and groups,
for both research and operational applications of
MM5
• Up-to-date documentation exists
• Fairly well-organized and commented code that
many users are comfortable to “muck around”
with
Why is RIP a good candidate as a
visualization tool for WRF model output?
• Highly portable
• Currently used by many individuals and groups,
for both research and operational applications of
MM5
• Up-to-date documentation exists
• Fairly well-organized and commented code that
many users are comfortable to “muck around”
with
• IT’S FREE!
Other characteristics of RIP
(which some might call drawbacks)
• Written in Fortran-77
• Uses NCAR Graphics SPP (Version 3 or 4)
• Execution is in a batch-type mode, rather than a
GUI-type interface with interactive graphics
Analysis and Plotting Capabilities:
• Plan view, vertical cross section, vertical profile, and
sounding plots
• Contour, vector/barb, color fill, and streamline plots
• Trajectory calculation and plotting
• Over 100 different derived fields can be calculated
and displayed
• All model or derived fields can be output into a Vis5D
data set
&userin
idotitle=1,titlecolor='def.foreground',
ptimes=0,6,12,
ptimeunits='h',tacc=120,timezone=-7,iusdaylightrule=1,
iinittime=1,ivalidtime=1,inearesth=0,
flmin=.09, frmax=.92, fbmin=.10, ftmax=.85,
ntextq=0,ntextcd=0,fcoffset=0.0,idotser=0,
idescriptive=1,icgmsplit=0,maxfld=10,itrajcalc=0,imakev5d=0
&end
&trajcalc
rtim=15,ctim=6,dtfile=3600.,dttraj=600.,vctraj='s',
xjtraj=95,90,85,80,75,70,65,80.6,80.6,80.6,80.6,80.6,80.6,
yitraj=50,55,60,65,70,75,80,77,77,77,77,77,77,
zktraj=.9,.9,.9,.9,.9,.9,.9,.99,.9,.8,.7,.6,.5,
ihydrometeor=0
&end
===========================================================================
---------------------Plot Specification Table
--------------------===========================================================================
feld=xlus; ptyp=hh; chfl; cosq=1,dark.gray,2,light.yellow,3,light.green,>
4,yellow,5,yellow,6,light.green,7,light.yellow,8,light.green,9,light.green,>
10,light.yellow,11,green,12,dark.green,13,green,14,dark.green,15,green,>
16,light.blue,17,green,18,green,19,light.gray,20,light.gray,21,dark.green,>
22,light.gray,23,light.gray,24,white
feld=map; ptyp=hb
feld=tic; ptyp=hb
time=0
===========================================================================
feld=ter; ptyp=hc; cint=100; colr=red
feld=map; ptyp=hb
feld=tic; ptyp=hb
time=0
===========================================================================
feld=ter; ptyp=hc; cint=50; cmth=fill; cosq=-1e-5,light.blue,1e-5,white,>
3000,brown
feld=map; ptyp=hb
feld=tic; ptyp=hb
time=0
===========================================================================
Current Procedure for Using RIP on MM5 Model Output:
• Model output is first converted to “RIP” format (IEEE-
32-bit, each variable at each time is in separate file)
• RIP input file is prepared, which specifies desired
plots
• RIP is executed, creating a metacode file
• Graphics are viewed with standard NCAR metacode
translators (or converted to GIFs, etc.)
Two Issues for Porting RIP to WRF:
1.
RIP assumes B-grid staggering (MM5), whereas WRF
uses C-grid staggering
u,v
u
u,v
v
T, p
v
u,v
u
u,v
Two Issues for Porting RIP to WRF:
2.
RIP assumes either the MM5 hydrostatic or
nonhydrostatic sigma vertical coordinate, whereas
WRF’s vertical coordinate is different from both:
Hydrostatic sigma:
  [ p( x, y, z, t )  ptop ] /[ ps ( x, y, t )  ptop ]
Nonhydrostatic sigma:
  [ p ( z )  ptop ] /[ ps ( x, y )  ptop ]
WRF sigma:
  [ phyd ( x, y, z, t )  ptop ] /[ ps hyd ( x, y, t )  ptop ]
“Quick Fix” short-term solution:
• Interpolate WRF winds to B-grid velocity (“dot”) points
• Pretend that WRF’s vertical coordinate is like MM5
nonhydrostatic sigma
• Remove from the RIP code the few dependencies on
the MM5 nonhydrostatic reference state
Long-term solution:
• Generalize RIP to be ready to accept any grid
staggering (A-, B-, or C-grid)
• Generalize RIP to make no assumption about vertical
coordinate. Full pressure and geopotential height
must be provided at every grid point.
• Take advantage of direct access capability of WRF
netcdf output format, by eliminating RIPDP data
translation step