Re: wind_4.ncl script

From: Dennis Shea (shea AT XXXXXX)
Date: Wed Apr 21 2004 - 17:42:19 MDT

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    >I am a ferret user, but I just started using NCL from today because
    >I need to compute the velocity potential from the monthly ncep
    >reanalysis. I just did that using "wind_4.ncl" (which can be
    >downloaded from the ncl webpage). The wind_4.ncl script uses
    >the follwing four ncl routines:
    >
    >uv2dvG(u,v) for divergence
    >ilapsG(div,0) for velocity potential
    >dv2uvg(div,ud,vd) divergent wind
    >
    >But, the computed velocity potential is very different from that
    >provided from CDC (velocity potential is included if you download
    >ncep reanalysis from CDC). Furthermore, the divergent wind is not
    >perpendicular to the velocity potential.
    >
    >Does it mean that the velocity potential computaion using NCL
    >is not reliable? Or am I doing something wrong? Only modification
    >I made to wind_4.ncl is the file reading statement (I am reading
    >grib data).

    The example you refer to is just that... an example.
    The example was for data on a gaussian grid. I don't think you
    want to use functions for gaussian grids on data that
    are not gaussian :-)

    [1] GRIB data from NCEP or ECMWF is typically ordered
        North-to-South. NCL's spherical harmonic routines
        require that the data be ordered from South-to-North.
        
        Note the documentation for the functions variables u/v
        stares that " input values must be in ascending latitude order"
                                              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
        http://ngwww.ucar.edu/ngdoc/ng/ref/ncl/functions/uv2dvF.html
        
        This can readily be accomplished via NCL's array syntax [like f90].

        Consider: u(lat,lon) and v(lat,lon) ordered N->S

                u = u(::-1,:) ; reorder the latitudes
                v = v(::-1,:)
        
                printVarSummary(u) ; verify that the latitudes are S->N

    [2] The functions the example [and you] are using are for
        data on a Gaussian grid.
           
        Most [all?] ranalysis data are on 2.5 degree grids. In NCL
        parlance, this means a "Fixed" grid.
        
        Thus, you want to use functions appropriate for a "Fixed" grid
        not a Gaussian grid.
        
        div = uv2dvF(u,v) ; divergence
        chi = ilapsF(div , 0) ; inverse laplacian ==> vel. potential
        dv2uvf(div,ud,vd) ; div ==> divergent wind components
        
    [3] Also, for plotting, the use of

               res@vcGlyphStyle = "CurlyVector" ; turn on curly vectors
               
        may not be the best choice here. Just comment it out (using ;)
        to get classic straight vectors.
        
    ====

    good luck

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