Variables and dimensions in water vapor mixing ratio files - DA10

DA10 User Guide

Document code
M212895EN
Revision
D
ft:locale
en-US
Product
DA10
Document type
User guide

The following tables list the DA10 netCDF dimensions and variables in the water vapor mixing ratio files. For the full list of attributes, types, and dimensions associated with each variable, see the example file in the appendix.

The dimensions and variables are listed in alphabetical order. The order in output files depends on the software used.
Table 1. NetCDF dimensions in water vapor mixing ratio files
Dimension Description
layer 1 Vector that gives the number of the observed cloud layer, ordered from lowest to highest with length 5.
module Vector for the 2 measurement units ordered from the near-range measurement unit to the far-range measurement unit, with length 2.
range

Range grid vector with a resolution of 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in) and a length of 415. The first range is 57.6 m (188 ft 12 in) and last range is 4032 m (13 228 ft 4 in).

The result at 57.6 m (188 ft 12 in) is the first one retrieved by DA10, the lower results come from WXT534.

time Temporal grid of the measurements, length unlimited.
Table 2. Variables in water vapor mixing ratio files
Variable Attribute Value/Description
airplane_filter_max_range 2 airplane_filter_max_range:units m, ft
airplane_filter_max_range:long_name Airplane filter max. range
airplane_filter_max_range:comment Maximum range where airplane echoes are filtered to prevent false cloud detection
azimuth_angle 2 azimuth_angle:units Degrees
azimuth_angle:long_name Measurement azimuth angle
azimuth_angle:standard_name sensor_azimuth_angle
azimuth_angle:comment Azimuth direction of tilted beam for each optics unit, clockwise positive from north
cloud_base_heights 2 cloud_base_heights:units m, ft
cloud_base_heights:long_name Cloud base heights
cloud_base_heights:coordinates Time layer longitude latitude
cloud_base_heights:comment Reported in vertical, or in the instrument beam direction, depending on tilt_correction setting
cloud_penetration_depth 2 cloud_penetration_depth:units m, ft
cloud_penetration_depth:long_name Cloud penetration depth
cloud_penetration_depth:coordinates Time layer longitude latitude
cloud_penetration_depth:comment Reported in the instrument beam direction
cloud_thickness 2 cloud_thickness:units m, f
cloud_thickness:long_name Cloud thickness
cloud_thickness:coordinates Time layer longitude latitude
cloud_thickness:comment Reported in the instrument beam direction
elevation elevation:units m
elevation:long_name Ground level altitude
elevation:standard_name ground_level_altitude
elevation:comment Measurement site height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly mean sea level
fog_detection 2 fog_detection:long_name Detection of fog
fog_detection:coordinates Time longitude latitude
fog_detection:comment
  • 1= detected
  • 0 = not detected
height_offset height_offset:units m
height_offset:long_name Instrument height offset to ground level
height_offset:positive Up
height_offset:comment Instrument height offset relative to ground level, for example, when the instrument is placed on a roof of a building or below the ground level; the offset is added to the cloud base height results
latitude latitude:units Degrees north
latitude:long_name Latitude
latitude:standard_name latitude
layer 2 layer:units Layer
layer:long_name Cloud layer
layer:comment 1 ... 5: observed cloud layer or cloud base
longitude longitude:units Degrees east
longitude:long_name Longitude
longitude:standard_name longitude
merging_region merging_region:units m, ft
merging_region:long_name Merging region from near range to far range
merging_region:comment Region where transition from near-range measurement to far-range measurement occurs; region adapts based on signal levels
module module:long_name Measurement unit
module:comment
  • 1 = near-range measurement unit
  • 2 = far-range measurement unit
precipitation_detection 2 precipitation_detection:long_name Detection of ground reaching precipitation
precipitation_detection:coordinates Time longitude latitude
precipitation_detection:comment
  • 1= detected
  • 0 = not detected
range range:units m, ft
range:long_name Measurement range
range:axis Z
range:positive Up
range:comment Measurement distance from the instrument in the direction of the transmitted laser beam
range_resolution range_resolution:units m, ft
range_resolution:long_name Range resolution
range_resolution:comment Distance between consecutive profile elements in the direction of the transmitted laser beam
receiver_gain receiver_gain:long_name Receiver gain status
receiver_gain:comment Value 1 corresponds to nominal gain
sky_condition_cloud_layer_covers 2 sky_condition_cloud_layer_covers:units Oktas
sky_condition_cloud_layer_covers:long_name Cloud cover per cloud layer
sky_condition_cloud_layer_covers:coordinates Time layer longitude latitude
sky_condition_cloud_layer_covers:averaging_time_in_seconds 1800
sky_condition_cloud_layer_covers:comment Amount of cloud cover for different cloud layers for up to 5 layers
sky_condition_cloud_layer_heights 2 sky_condition_cloud_layer_heights:units m, ft
sky_condition_cloud_layer_heights:long_name Cloud layer heights
sky_condition_cloud_layer_heights:coordinates Time layer longitude latitude
sky_condition_cloud_layer_heights:averaging_time_in_seconds 1800
sky_condition_cloud_layer_heights:comment Heights for different cloud layers for up to 5 layers, reported in vertical, or in the instrument beam direction, depending on tilt_correction setting
sky_condition_total_cloud_cover 2 sky_condition_total_cloud_cover:units Oktas
sky_condition_total_cloud_cover:long_name Total cloud cover
sky_condition_total_cloud_cover:coordinates Time longitude latitude
sky_condition_total_cloud_cover:averaging_time_in_seconds 1800
sky_condition_total_cloud_cover: comment Total amount of cloud cover aggregated across cloud layers
surface_pressure surface_pressure:units hPa
surface_pressure:long_name Surface pressure
surface_pressure:coordinates Time longitude latitude
surface_pressure:comment Measurement from weather transmitter
surface_temperature surface_temperature:units Celsius
surface_temperature:long_name Surface temperature
surface_temperature:coordinates Time longitude latitude
surface_temperature:comment Measurement from weather transmitter
surface_water_vapor surface_water_vapor:units g/kg
surface_water_vapor:long_name Surface water vapor mixing ratio
surface_water_vapor:coordinates Time longitude latitude
surface_water_vapor:comment Measurement from weather transmitter
tilt_angle 2 tilt_angle:units Degrees
tilt_angle:long_name Optics unit tilt angle from the vertical
tilt_angle:standard_name zenith_angle
tilt_correction 2 tilt_correction:long_name Tilt correction
tilt_correction:comment When correction is on, cloud bases are reported in vertical direction; when correction is off, in beam direction
  • 1 = on
  • 0 = off
time time:units Seconds since 1970-01-01 00:00:00.000
time:long_name UTC time
time:axis T
time:standard_name time
time:cf_role profile_id
time:comment Represents the end of the measurement period
vertical_visibility 2 vertical_visibility:units m, ft
vertical_visibility:long_name Vertical visibility
vertical_visibility:coordinates Time longitude latitude
vertical_visibility:comment Reported in the instrument beam direction
water_vapor water_vapor:units g/kg
water_vapor:long_name Water vapor mixing ratio
water_vapor:coordinates Time range longitude latitude
water_vapor:averaging_time_in_seconds 1200
water_vapor_max_range water_vapor_max_range:units

m, ft

Currently only m available

water_vapor_max_range:long_name Maximum valid water vapor measurement range
water_vapor_max_range:coordinates Time longitude latitude
water_vapor_max_range:sensitivity_threshold -
water_vapor_max_range:comment Maximum valid water vapor measurement range based on quality control
water_vapor_uncertainty water_vapor_uncertainty:units g/kg
water_vapor_uncertainty:long_name Measurement uncertainty of water vapor mixing ratio
water_vapor_uncertainty:coordinates Time range longitude latitude
water_vapor_uncertainty:comment Uncertainty estimate is valid in the same measurement range where water vapor measurement is valid
water_vapor_valid 2 water_vapor_valid:long_name Validity of water vapor mixing ratio
water_vapor_valid:coordinates Time range longitude latitude
water_vapor_valid:comment Flag for each measurement range based on quality control
  • 1 = valid
  • 0 = invalid
water_vapor_valid:sensitivity_threshold -
Table 3. Variables, group monitoring
Variable Attribute Description
laser_power_percent laser_power_percent:units Percent
laser_power_percent:long_name Laser power percent
laser_power_percent:comment Laser output power relative to the laser power measured at factory
time time:units Seconds since 1970-01-01 00:00:00.000
time:long_name UTC time
time:axis T
time:standard_name time
window_condition window_condition:units Percent
window_condition:long_name Window condition (near-range measurement unit)
window_condition:comment

0–100 %

  • 100 = Clean window
  • 0 = Dirty window
1 The value for this dimension is not reported in software release 2.0.
2 The value for this variable is not reported in software release 2.0. The netCDF shows value -99 for the following variables: cloud_base_heights, cloud_penetration_depth, cloud_thickness, sky_condition_cloud_layer_covers, sky_condition_cloud_layer_heights, sky_condition_total_cloud_cover, and vertical_visibility. The netCDF shows value -999 for the following variables: airplane_filter_max_range, fog_detection, layer, precipitation_detection, tilt_correction, and water_vapor_valid. The netCDF shows value -999.0 for the following variables: azimuth_angle and tilt_angle.