NCAR CSM Pacific Basin Model, version 3.e -- User's Guide         <<     Table of Contents     >>

3   Input Parameters

 §3.1  List of Input Parameters
 §3.2  Example Input Namelists

The Pacific Basin Model uses Fortran's namelist input parameter processing capability. The model reads an input namelist, called inparm, from stdin at runtime. This section contains a list and description of available namelist input parameters.

3.1   List of Input Parameters

The model input variables follow a naming convention in which the first few letters of the variable identify a basic functionality group: The following list of the model input namelist parameters include:
case_name
Type: character string
Default: "null"
Required: no, but highly recommended
Description: This is the case name text string, up to 8 characters, which is included in output files to help identify the model run.
See Examples: 1,2

case_desc
Type: character string
Default: "null"
Required: no, but highly recommended
Description: This is a short text string, up to 80 characters, which is included in output files to help identify the model run.
See Examples: 1,2

rest_type
Type: character string
Default: "continue"
Required: no (but default is of limited usefulness)
Description: This selects the run type. Valid choices are: "initial", "continue", "branch", "regenerate." Selecting "branch" or "regenerate" makes rest_bfile a required input.
See Examples: 1,2

rest_bfile
Type: character string
Default: "/USER/invalid/rest_bfile"
Required: required if rest_type = "branch" or "regeneration", ignored otherwise
Description: This is the mass store file name of the branch file (a.k.a. the IC data file).
See Example: 1

rest_pfile
Type: character string
Default: "null"
Required: yes
Description: This is the complete path and name of the restart pointer file. This must include an existing, NFS mounted directory. All run types will update this file (and create it, if necessary), but only a continuation runs requires that this file exists prior to the start of the run.
See Examples: 1,2

rest_date
Type: integer
Default: 00000101 (year 0, month 1, day 1)
Required: no (optional for initial and branch runs, ignored otherwise)
Description: This is the restart date (encoded: yyyymmdd).
  • On initial runs, rest_date is the initial date of the simulation.
  • On branch runs, if rest_date > 0, it will over-ride the date contained in the rest_bfile IC restart file. Otherwise the date from the rest_bfile data file is used.
  • On continuation or regeneration runs rest_date is not used (the date contained in the IC file is used).
    See Example: 1

    rest_freq
    Type: character string
    Default: "monthly"
    Required: no
    Description: This is the restart frequency, one of "monthly", "yearly", or "ndays" which selects how often restart data files are created.
    See Example: 2

    rest_n
    Type: integer
    Default: 30
    Required: no (only used if rest_freq = "ndays")
    Description: If rest_freq = "ndays", restart files will be created every n days. More specifically, whenever mod(d-p;n) = 0, where
    d = the simulation day (1 Jan, year 1 <=> d = 365)
    p = an offset such that mod(d-p;n) = 0 on the date specified by rest_odate
    n = rest_n

    rest_odate
    Type: integer
    Default: -1
    Required: no
    Description: Selects restart file offset calendar date, used in conjunction with rest_n when rest_freq = "ndays." If rest_odate > 0, it is a valid calendar date (encoded: yyyymmdd). Restart data is created every n days relative to (and including) either
  • the initial date of the run (if rest_odate < 1)
  • the date rest_odate (if rest_odate > 0)

    stop_option
    Type: character string
    Default: "newmonth"
    Required: no
    Description: Selects when to stop the simulation.
  • "newdecade" => stop at the start of the next decade
  • "newyear" => stop on the next January 1st
  • "newmonth" => stop on the 1st of the next month
  • "ndays" => stop after advancing n days, where n=stop_n
  • "date" => stop when stop_date is reached. This makes stop_date a required input.
    See Examples: 1,2

    stop_n
    Type: integer
    Default: 365
    Required: no (only used when stop_option = "ndays")
    Description: If stop_option = "ndays", stop after advancing stop_n days.

    stop_date
    Type: integer
    Default: 00010101 (year 1, month 1, day 1)
    Required: no (required if stop_option = "date", ignored otherwise)
    Description: If stop_option = "date", stop on this date.
    See Example: 1

    hist_freq
    Type: character string
    Default: "monthly"
    Required: no
    Description: One of "monthly", "biweekly", "weekly", or "ndays", which selects how often instantaneous history data is created.
  • "monthly" => data is created on the 1st of each month
  • "biweekly" => data is created on the 1st and 15th of each month
  • "weekly" => data is created on the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd of each month
  • "ndays" => history data is created every n days relative to a history offset date specified by hist_odate.
  • "nstep" => history data is created every n time steps relative to and including the first time step of each day.
    See Example: 2

    hist_n
    Type: integer
    Default: 30
    Required: no (only used if hist_freq = "ndays" or "nstep")
    Description: If hist_freq = "ndays" > 0, history files will be created every n days. More specifically, whenever mod(d-p;n) = 0, where
    d = the simulation day (1 Jan, year 1 <=> d = 365 )
    n = hist_n
    p = an offset such that mod(d-p;n) = 0 on the date specified by hist_odate
    If hist_freq = "nstep" > 0, history files will be created every n time steps including the first time step of each day.

    hist_odate
    Type: integer
    Default: 1
    Required: no (only used if hist_freq = "ndays")
    Description: Selects history file offset calendar date, used in conjunction with hist_n when hist_freq = "ndays". If hist_odate > 1, it is a valid calendar date (encoded: yyyymmdd). See hist_freq for usage. History data is created every n days relative to (and including) either
  • the initial date of the run (if hist_odate < 1)
  • the 1st of the month (if hist_odate = 1)
  • the date hist_odate (if hist_odate > 1)
    See Examples: 1,2

    hist_tavg
    Type: integer
    Default: 0 (false)
    Required: no
    Description: If hist_tavg is true (non-zero), the model will create monthly average history data files.

    diag_freq
    Type: character string
    Default: "monthly"
    Required: no
    Description: One of "never", "monthly", "biweekly", "weekly", "ndays", or "nstep", which selects how often instantaneous diagnositic data is created.
  • "never" => data is never created
  • "yearly" => data is created on the 1st day of each year
  • "quarterly" => data is created on the 1st day of each quarter
  • "monthly" => data is created on the 1st of each month
  • "biweekly" => data is created on the 1st and 15th of each month
  • "weekly" => data is created on the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd of each month
  • "ndays" => data is created every n days relative to an offset date specified by diag_odate. See diag_n.
  • "nstep" => data is created every n time steps, including the first time step of each day. See diag_n.

    diag_n
    Type: integer
    Default: 90
    Required: no (only used if diag_freq = "ndays" or "nstep")
    Description: If diag_freq = "ndays", diagnostic data will be created every n days. More specifically, whenever mod(d-p;n) = 0, where
    d = the simulation day (1 Jan, year 1 <=> d = 365 )
    n = diag_n
    p = an offset such that mod(d-p;n) = 0 on the date specified by diag_odate
    If diag_freq = "nstep", diagnostic data will be created every n time steps including the first time step of each day.
    See Examples: 1,2

    diag_odate
    Type: integer
    Default: -1
    Required: no (only used if diag_freq = "ndays")
    Description: Selects diagnostic data offset calendar date, used in conjunction with diag_n when diag_freq = "ndays". If diag_odate > 1, it is a valid calendar date (encoded: yyyymmdd). See diag_freq for usage. Diagnostic data is created every n days relative to (and including) either
  • the initial date of the run (if hist_odate < 1)
  • the 1st of the month (if hist_odate = 1)
  • the date hist_odate (if hist_odate > 1)

    frc_wfile
    Type: character string
    Default: "/USER/invalid/winddata"
    Required: yes (in uncoupled mode only)
    Description: MSS path of wind velocity forcing data file.
    See Examples: 1,2

    frc_cfile
    Type: character string
    Default: "/USER/invalid/clouddata"
    Required: yes (in uncoupled mode only)
    Description: MSS path of fractional cloud cover data file.
    See Examples: 1,2

    frc_tfile
    Type: character string
    Default: "/USER/invalid/sstdata"
    Required: yes (in uncoupled mode only)
    Description: MSS path of SST boundary forcing data file.
    See Examples: 1,2

    mss_dir
    Type: character string
    Default: "/USER/invalid/mss_dir"
    Required: yes
    Description: This is a mass store directory name. Restart and history files go into this directory. For continuation or regeneration runs, the initial condition restart file must also be in this directory.
    See Examples: 1,2

    mss_opts
    Type: character string
    Default: "nowait, nomail"
    Required: no
    Description: Options used when data files are sent to NCAR's Mass Storage System (MSS) via a mswrite library call. This default request uses asynchronous data file transfer. See the mswrite man pages at NCAR for more details.
    See Examples: 1,2

    mss_pass
    Type: character string
    Default: " "
    Required: no
    Description: Mswrite password string for files sent to the MSS. See the mswrite man pages at NCAR for more details. The mswrite password format is "[read-password][,write-password]".
    See Examples: 1,2

    mss_rtpd
    Type: integer
    Default: 365
    Required: no
    Description: Retention period, in days, for data files sent to the MSS. See the mswrite man pages at NCAR for more details.
    See Examples: 1,2

    info_dbug
    Type: integer
    Default: 1
    Required: no
    Description: Debugging information level: 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • 0 => do not write any extra debugging information to stdout
  • 1 => write a small amount of extra debugging information to stdout
  • 2 => write a medium amount of extra debugging information to stdout
  • 3 => write a large amount of extra debugging information to stdout
    See Examples: 1,2

    info_time
    Type: integer
    Default: 0 (false)
    Required: no (normally not recommended)
    Description: If true (non-zero), write message passing timing info to stdout. This applies to the coupled model only.

    • 3.2   Example Input Namelists

    Example 1: an initial run 

       $inparm
   case_name   = "test.01 "
   case_str    = "an initial run "
   rest_pfile  = "$HOME/pac3.test.01.rpointer"
   rest_bfile  = "/KAUFF/pac3/data/r0000-01-01 "
   rest_type   = "initial"
   rest_date   = 19800101
   stop_option = "date"
   stop_date   = 19800701
   frc_wfile   = "/KAUFF/pac3/data/wind1.fsu.mnth"
   frc_cfile   = "/KAUFF/pac3/data/cloud.isccp.mnth"
   frc_tfile   = "/KAUFF/pac3/data/sst.str.mnth"
   mss_dir     = "/DOE/pac3/test.01/ "
   /

    Here the inputs specify an initial run using the MSS file "/KAUFF/pac3/data/r0000-01-01" as the initial condition file. The date found in the restart file will be ignored, instead the model will use 1980-Jan-01 as the initial condition date. The stop option specifies that the model will stop when it reaches a particular date, 1980-Jul-01. The frequency of history data and restart file creation will be according to the default settings: on the 1st of every month. The nfs mounted text file ~/pac3.test.01.rpointer will contain the name of the most recently created restart file. Three forcing data files are also required to run the model. In this case the data files used are: "wind1.fsu.mnth", "cloud.isccp.mnth", and "sst.str.mnth". All restart and history data files created will be archived on the MSS in a directory named "/DOE/pac3/test.01/".

    Example 2: a continuation run 

       $inparm
   case_name   = "test.01 "
   case_str    = "a continuation run "
   rest_pfile  = "$HOME/pac3.test.01.rpointer"
   rest_type   = "continue"
   rest_freq   = "yearly"
   stop_option = "newyear"
   hist_freq   = "weekly"
   info_dbug   = 0
   diag_freq   = "quarterly"
   frc_wfile   = "/DOE/pac3/data/wind.mean.monthly"
   frc_cfile   = "/DOE/pac3/data/cloud.mean.monthly"
   frc_tfile   = "/DOE/pac3/data/sst.mean.monthly"
   mss_dir     = "/DOE/pac3/test.01/ "
   mss_rtpd    = 30
   mss_pass    = ",rosebud"
   mss_opts    = "nowait"
 /

    Here the inputs specify a continuation run. On a continuation run the name of the restart (initial condition) file to be used is found in the restart pointer file: ~/pac3.test.01.rpointer. The initial condition date will be the date found in the restart file and cannot be reset. Assuming this run continues from where example (1) left off, the initial condition date will be 1980-Jul-01. The stop option given here will cause the simulation to stop on 1981-Jan-01. A restart file will be created every January 1st, in this case, on 1981-Jan-01. History files will be created on the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd day of each month. Setting info_dbug = 0 will minimize the amount of debugging information written to stdout. Setting diag_freq = "quarterly" will signal the model to calculate some diagnostic information and write it to stdout on the 1st day of every January, April, July, or October. All restart and history data files created will be archived on the MSS in a directory named "/DOE/pac3/test.01/". The mass store file retention period, write password (note that there is no read password), and other MSS options have also explicitly been selected here.