National Center for Atmospheric Research
EOL Integrated Surface Flux Facility

Variables in CASES97 5-Minute and 30-Minute Data Sets

The following variables were sampled during this project.

Most variables will have a "time" dimension, indicating they are time-series variables. Variables with a "station" dimension were sampled at more than one station or site.

Variables with a "sample" dimension are available at a resolution of 1/sample times the resolution of the dataset. For example, in a file of 5 minute statistics, a sample dimension of 5 indicates that the variable is available at 1 minute resolution.

For more information on variable names, see the ISFF Variable Name Convention .

Variables that were slowly sampled (usually once per second, or less) start with an upper case character (P, RH, T, etc). Lower case is used for more rapidly sampled variables, typically those used in eddy correlation, like u,v,w,tc,h2o, etc.

Higher moments are represented by products of variables, separated by single quotes. For example, u'v' is the covariance of u and v.

To save space, third and fourth moments of eddy correlation variables aren't listed in the table, but are available in the datasets.

Standard NetCDF variable names should only contain alphanumeric characters and underscores. Therefore, in Netcdf files the actual variable names will be the variable name shown here, with underscores substituted for periods and quotes. The variable name shown in this table will be saved as the "short_name" attribute of the Netcdf variable.

For some variables, the sensor name is appended, e.g. "v.csat" is the lateral velocity component from the Campbell Scientific sonic anemometer (only at station #8), to distinquish it from "v" which is the same variable measured by the default sensor at each station (either an ATI or Gill sonic anemometer).

5-Minute Variables

Variable Name Description Units Dimension Sensor Notes
base_timeSeconds since
1970 Jan 1 00:00 GMT
seconds   
timeSeconds since base_timesecondstime  
GsoilSoil Heat Fluxw/m^2time x station  
PPressurembartime x sample x station  
RHRel. Humidity%time x sample x station  
Rlw.downOutgoing LongwaveW/m^2time  
Rlw.upIncoming LongwaveW/m^2time  
RnetNet Radiationw/m^2time x station  
Rpar.down umole/s/m^2time  
Rpar.up umole/s/m^2time  
Rpile.downDown-looking ThermopileW/m^2time  
Rpile.upUp-looking ThermopileW/m^2time  
Rsw.down.pspOutgoing ShortwaveW/m^2time  
Rsw.downOutgoing Shortwavew/m^2time x station  
Rsw.up.pspIncoming ShortwaveW/m^2time  
Rveg.660 umoles/m2/stime WARNING
Rveg.730 umoles/m2/stime WARNING
SpdmaxPropVanem/stime x sample x station  
TTemperaturedegCtime x sample x station  
Tbattbattery TempdegCtime x station  
Tbox.cosmosElectronics TempdegCtime  
Tbox.marigoldElectronics TempdegCtime  
Tcase.downDown-looking Case TempdegKtime  
Tcase.upUp-looking Case TempdegKtime  
Tcomp.down degKtime  
Tcomp.up degKtime  
Tdome.downDown-looking Dome TempdegKtime  
Tdome.upUp-looking Dome TempdegKtime  
Tlicor degCtime  
TsfcEverest 4000.4GL surface tempdegCtime x station  
TsoilSoil TemperaturedegCtime x station  
UPropVanem/stime x sample x station  
V0.licor Vtime  
V0.meyers Vtime  
VPropVanem/stime x sample x station  
altitude mstation  
chksumOK.MET_DATA Ptime x sample x station  
chksumOK.SLOW_DATA  time x station  
co2'co2'.licor (ppmv)^2time  
co2.licor ppmvtime  
counts.h2oSynced h2o Samples time x station  
counts.tcSynced Tc Samples time x station  
counts.unsyncUnsynced Sonic SamplesGtime x station  
diag.csat  time  
err.h2oKrypton A/D errorscnttime x station  
err.powerPower A/D errorscnttime x station  
err.t.surfaceEverest A/D errorscnttime x station  
h2o'h2o'.bphh2o variance(gm/m^3)^2time  
h2o'h2o'.csih2o variance(g/m^3)^2time  
h2o'h2o'h2o variance(gm/m^3)^2time x station  
h2o.bphWater Vapor Densitygm/m^3time  
h2o.csiWater Vapor Densityg/m^3time  
h2oKryptongm/m^3time x station  
i.battcharging CurrentAmpstime x station  
i.loadload CurrentAmpstime x station  
id.status  time x sample x station  
imax.battMax Charging CurrentAmpstime x station  
latitude degree_northstation  
longitude degree_eaststation  
o3'o3'.meyers (ppb)^2time  
o3'o3'.seclod (V)^2time  
o3.meyers ppbtime  
o3.seclod Vtime  
o3.teco ppbtime  
raina.etiETI rain accumulation.01intime x sample x station  
raina.mriMRI rain accumulation.01intime x sample x station  
rainr.etiETI rain rate.01in/mintime x sample x station  
rainr.mriMRI rain rate.01in/mintime x sample x station  
rh.bph %time  
t.bphAir TemperaturedegCtime  
tc'tc'.csattc variance(degC)^2time  
tc'tc'tc variancedegC^2time x station  
tc.csatVirtual TemperaturedegCtime  
tcSonic Virtual TemperaturedegCtime x station  
tcflag.csatSpike fract for tc time  
tcflagTc spikes time x station  
traw.h2o.soilCS615 Soil Moisture raw timemsectime x station  
u'co2'.(,licor) m/s ppmvtime  
u'h2o'.(,bph)u h2o covariancem/s gm/m^3time  
u'h2o'.(csat,csi)u h2o covariancem/s g/m^3time  
u'h2o'u h2o covariancem/s gm/m^3time x station  
u'o3'.(,meyers) m/s ppbtime  
u'o3'.(,seclod) m/s Vtime  
u'tc'.csatu tc covariancem/s degCtime  
u'tc'u tc covariancem/s degCtime x station  
u'u'.csatu variance(m/s)^2time  
u'u'u variancem^2/s^2time x station  
u'v'.csatu v covariance(m/s)^2time  
u'v'u v covariancem^2/s^2time x station  
u'w'.csatu w covariance(m/s)^2time  
u'w'u w covariancem^2/s^2time x station  
u.csatSonic U Wind Compm/stime  
uSonic Uwindm/stime x station  
uflag.csatSpike fract for u time  
uflagU spikes time x station  
ulev Degreestime x station  
v'co2'.(,licor) m/s ppmvtime  
v'h2o'.(,bph)v h2o covariancem/s gm/m^3time  
v'h2o'.(csat,csi)v h2o covariancem/s g/m^3time  
v'h2o'v h2o covariancem/s gm/m^3time x station  
v'o3'.(,meyers) m/s ppbtime  
v'o3'.(,seclod) m/s Vtime  
v'tc'.csatv tc covariancem/s degCtime  
v'tc'v tc covariancem/s degCtime x station  
v'v'.csatv variance(m/s)^2time  
v'v'v variancem^2/s^2time x station  
v'w'.csatv w covariance(m/s)^2time  
v'w'v w covariancem^2/s^2time x station  
v.csatSonic V Wind Compm/stime  
vSonic Vwindm/stime x station  
value.status Gtime x sample x station  
vdc.battbattery VoltageVDCtime x station  
vdcmax.battMax Battery VoltageVDCtime x station  
vdcmin.battMin Battery VoltageVDCtime x station  
vflag.csatSpike fract for v time  
vflagV spikes time x station  
vlev Degreestime x station  
volt.h2o mVtime x station  
volt.meyers Vtime  
vwf.soilCS615 Soil Moisturepct voltime x station  
w'co2'.(,licor) m/s ppmvtime  
w'h2o'.(,bph)w h2o covariancem/s gm/m^3time  
w'h2o'.(csat,csi)w h2o covariancem/s g/m^3time  
w'h2o'w h2o covariancem/s gm/m^3time x station  
w'o3'.(,meyers) m/s ppbtime  
w'o3'.(,seclod) m/s Vtime  
w'tc'.csatw tc covariancem/s degCtime  
w'tc'w tc covariancem/s degCtime x station  
w'w'.csatw variance(m/s)^2time  
w'w'w variancem^2/s^2time x station  
w.csatSonic W Wind Compm/stime  
wSonic Wwindm/stime x station  
wflag.csatSpike fract for w time  
wflagW spikes time x station  

Variables in 30-minute dataset

Variable Name Description Units Dimension Sensor Notes
base_timeSeconds since
1970 Jan 1 00:00 GMT
seconds   
timeSeconds since base_timesecondstime  
Gsfc w/m^2time x station  
GsoilSoil Heat Fluxw/m^2time x station  
HSensible Heat FluxW/m^2time x station  
LE.dryLatent Heat FluxW/m^2time x station  
PBarometric Pressurembartime x station  
QSpecific Humidityg/kgtime x station  
RHRel. Humidity%time x station  
Rlw.downOutgoing LongwaveW/m^2time  
Rlw.upIncoming LongwaveW/m^2time  
RnetNet Radiationw/m^2time x station  
Rpar.down umole/s/m^2time  
Rpar.up umole/s/m^2time  
Rsw.down.pspOutgoing ShortwaveW/m^2time  
Rsw.downOutgoing Shortwavew/m^2time x station  
Rsw.up.pspIncoming ShortwaveW/m^2time  
Rveg.660 umoles/m2/stime  
Rveg.730 umoles/m2/stime  
TAir TempdegCtime x station  
TsfcSurface TempdegCtime x station  
TsoilSoil TemperaturedegCtime x station  
UEastward Windm/stime x station  
VNorthward Windm/stime x station  
h2o'h2o'h2o variance(gm/m^3)^2time x station  
h2o.soilWater Vapor DensityV frctntime x station  
h2oWater Vapor Densitygm/m^3time x station  
rainr.etiRain Rate.01in/mintime x station  
rainr.mriRain Rate.01in/mintime x station  
tc'tc'tc variancedegC^2time x station  
tcVirtual TemperaturedegCtime x station  
u'h2o'u h2o covariancem/s gm/m^3time x station  
u'tc'u tc covariancem/s degCtime x station  
u'u'u variancem^2/s^2time x station  
u'v'u v covariancem^2/s^2time x station  
u'w'u w covariancem^2/s^2time x station  
uSonic U Wind Compm/stime x station  
ustar m/stime x station  
v'h2o'v h2o covariancem/s gm/m^3time x station  
v'tc'v tc covariancem/s degCtime x station  
v'v'v variancem^2/s^2time x station  
v'w'v w covariancem^2/s^2time x station  
vSonic V Wind Compm/stime x station  
w'h2o'w h2o covariancem/s gm/m^3time x station  
w'tc'w tc covariancem/s degCtime x station  
w'w'w variancem^2/s^2time x station  
wSonic W Wind Compm/stime x station  

 
 
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This page was prepared by Steven Oncley, NCAR Research Technology Facility