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Variables
Atmosphere Variables
Name Variable Description Units Details
psl Air pressure at sea level Pa Sea level means mean sea level, which is close to the geoid in sea areas. Air pressure at sea level is the quantity often abbreviated as MSLP or PMSL.
tas Air temperature K Air temperature is the bulk temperature of the air, not the surface (skin) temperature.
ts Surface temperature K The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. The surface temperature is the (skin) temperature at the interface, not the bulk temperature of the medium above or below.
ps Surface air pressure Pa The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere.
prw Atmosphere water vapor content kg kg-1 (i.e., dimensionless fraction) "Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "atmosphere content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. For the content between specified levels in the atmosphere, standard names including content_of_atmosphere_layer are used. Atmosphere water vapor content is sometimes referred to as "precipitable water", although this term does not imply the water could all be precipitated.
pr Precipitation flux kg m-2 s-1 In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.
tauu Surface downward eastward stress Pa The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Eastward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed eastward (negative westward). "Downward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed downward (negative upward). "Downward eastward" indicates the ZX component of a tensor. A downward eastward stress is a downward flux of eastward momentum, which accelerates the lower medium eastward and the upper medium westward. The surface downward stress is the windstress on the surface.
tauv Surface downward northward stress Pa The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Northward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed northward (negative southward). "Downward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed downward (negative upward). "Downward northward" indicates the ZY component of a tensor. A downward northward stress is a downward flux of northward momentum, which accelerates the lower medium northward and the upper medium southward. The surface downward stress is the windstress on the surface.
snd Surface snow thickness m The surface called surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere.
rlds Surface downwelling longwave flux in air W m-2 The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "longwave" means longwave radiation. Downwelling radiation is radiation from above. It does not mean "net downward". When thought of as being incident on a surface, a radiative flux is sometimes called "irradiance". In addition, it is identical with the quantity measured by a cosine-collector light-meter and sometimes called vvector irradiance". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.
rlus Surface upwelling longwave flux in air W m-2 The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "longwave" means longwave radiation. Upwelling radiation is radiation from below. It does not mean "net upward". When thought of as being incident on a surface, a radiative flux is sometimes called "irradiancev. In addition, it is identical with the quantity measured by a cosine-collector light-meter and sometimes called "vector irradiance". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called vflux density" in physics.
rsds Surface downwelling shortwave flux in air W m-2 The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "shortwavev means shortwave radiation. Downwelling radiation is radiation from above. It does not mean "net downward". Surface downwelling shortwave is the sum of direct and diffuse solar radiation incident on the surface, and is sometimes called "global radiation". When thought of as being incident on a surface, a radiative flux is sometimes called "irradiance". In addition, it is identical with the quantity measured by a cosine-collector light-meter and sometimes called "vector irradiance". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called vflux density" in physics.
rsus Surface upwelling shortwave flux in air W m-2 The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "shortwave" means shortwave radiation. Upwelling radiation is radiation from below. It does not mean "net upward". When thought of as being incident on a surface, a radiative flux is sometimes called "irradiance". In addition, it is identical with the quantity measured by a cosine-collector light-meter and sometimes called "vector irradiance". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.
prsn Snowfall flux kg m-2 s-1 In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.
prc Convective precipitation flux kg m-2 s-1 In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.
rsdt Top of atmosphere incoming shortwave flux W m-2 "shortwave" means shortwave radiation. "toa" means top of atmosphere. The TOA incoming shortwave flux is the radiative flux from the sun i.e. the "downwelling" TOA shortwave flux. In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.
rsut Top of atmosphere outgoing shortwave flux W m-2 "shortwave" means shortwave radiation. "toa" means top of atmosphere. The TOA outgoing shortwave flux is the reflected and scattered solar radiative flux i.e. the "upwelling" TOA shortwave flux, sometimes called the "outgoing shortwave radiation" or "OSR". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.
rlut Top of atmosphere outgoing longwave flux W m-2 "ongwave" means longwave radiation. "toa" means top of atmosphere. The TOA outgoing longwave flux is the upwelling thermal radiative flux, often called the "outgoing longwave radiation" or "OLR". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.
rtmt Net downward radiative flux at top of atmosphere model W m-2 Fluxes at the top_of_atmosphere_model differ from TOA fluxes only if the model TOA fluxes make some allowance for the atmosphere above the top of the model; if not, it is usual to give standard names with toa to the fluxes at the top of the model atmosphere. "Downward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed downward (negative upward). Net downward radiation is the difference between radiation from above (downwelling) and radiation from below (upwelling). Radiative flux is the sum of shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes. In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.
rsdscs Surface downwelling shortwave flux assuming clear sky W m-2 The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. A phrase assuming_condition indicates that the named quantity is the value which would obtain if all aspects of the system were unaltered except for the assumption of the circumstances specified by the condition. "shortwave" means shortwave radiation. Downwelling radiation is radiation from above. It does not mean "net downward". Surface downwelling shortwave is the sum of direct and diffuse solar radiation incident on the surface, and is sometimes called "global radiation". When thought of as being incident on a surface, a radiative flux is sometimes called "irradiance". In addition, it is identical with the quantity measured by a cosine-collector light-meter and sometimes called "vector irradiance". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.
rsuscs Surface upwelling shortwave flux assuming clear sky W m-2 The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. A phrase assuming_condition indicates that the named quantity is the value which would obtain if all aspects of the system were unaltered except for the assumption of the circumstances specified by the condition. "shortwave" means shortwave radiation. Upwelling radiation is radiation from below. It does not mean "net upward". When thought of as being incident on a surface, a radiative flux is sometimes called "irradiance". In addition, it is identical with the quantity measured by a cosine-collector light-meter and sometimes called "vector irradiance". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.
rldscs Surface downwelling longwave flux assuming clear sky W m-2 The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. A phrase assuming_condition indicates that the named quantity is the value which would obtain if all aspects of the system were unaltered except for the assumption of the circumstances specified by the condition. "longwave" means longwave radiation. Downwelling radiation is radiation from above. It does not mean "net downward". When thought of as being incident on a surface, a radiative flux is sometimes called "irradiance". In addition, it is identical with the quantity measured by a cosine-collector light-meter and sometimes called "vector irradiance". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.
rlutcs Top of atmosphere outgoing longwave flux assuming clear sky W m-2 A phrase assuming_condition indicates that the named quantity is the value which would obtain if all aspects of the system were unaltered except for the assumption of the circumstances specified by the condition. "longwave" means longwave radiation. "toa" means top of atmosphere. The TOA outgoing longwave flux is the upwelling thermal radiative flux, often called the "outgoing longwave radiation" or "OLR". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.
rsutcs Top of atmosphere outgoing shortwave flux assuming clear sky W m-2 A phrase assuming_condition indicates that the named quantity is the value which would obtain if all aspects of the system were unaltered except for the assumption of the circumstances specified by the condition. "shortwave" means shortwave radiation. "toa" means top of atmosphere. The TOA outgoing shortwave flux is the reflected and scattered solar radiative flux i.e. the "upwelling" TOA shortwave flux, sometimes called the "outgoing shortwave radiation" or "OSR". In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.
clwvi Atmosphere cloud condensed water content kg m-2 "condensed_water" means liquid and ice. "Content" indicates a quantity per unit area. The "atmosphere content" of a quantity refers to the vertical integral from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. For the content between specified levels in the atmosphere, standard names including content_of_atmosphere_layer are used.
Land Variables
Name Variable Description Units Details
mrsos Moisture content of soil layer kg m-2 water in all phases in the upper 0.1 meters of soil, and averaged over the land portion of the grid cell (i.e., compute by dividing the total mass of water contained in the soil layer of the grid cell by the land area in the grid cell); report as "missing" or 0.0 where the land fraction is 0; the CMOR singleton dimension default value of 0.1 m can be overridden, if absolutely necessary, by redefining axis "depth1".
mrso Soil moisture content kg m-2 water in all phases summed over all soil layers, and averaged over the land portion of the grid cell (i.e., compute by dividing the total mass of water contained in the soil layer of the grid cell by the land area in the grid cell); report as "missing" or 0.0 where the land fraction is 0.
mrfso Soil frozen water content kg m-2 summed over all soil layers, and averaged over the land portion of the grid cell (i.e., compute by dividing the total mass of frozen water contained in the soil layer of the grid cell by the land area in the grid cell); report as "missing" or 0.0 where the land fraction is 0.
mrros Surface runoff flux kg m-2 s-1 compute as the total surface runoff leaving the land portion of the grid cell divided by the land area in the grid cell; report as "missing" or 0.0 where the land fraction is 0.
mrro Runoff flux kg m-2 s-1 compute as the total runoff (including "drainage" through the base of the soil model) leaving the land portion of the grid cell divided by the land area in the grid cell; report as "missing" or 0.0 where the land fraction is 0.
snw Surface snow amount where land kg m-2 compute as the mass of surface snow on the land portion of the grid cell divided by the land area in the grid cell; report as "missing" or 0.0 where the land fraction is 0; exclude snow on vegetation canopy or on sea ice.
snc Surface snow area fraction where land % fraction of grid cell covered by snow that lies on land; exclude snow that lies on sea ice.
snm Surface snow melt flux where land kg m-2 s-1 compute as the total surface melt water on the land portion of the grid cell divided by the land area in the grid cell; report as 0.0 for snow-free land regions; report as 0.0 or "missing" where the land fraction is 0.
Downscaled Variables
Name Variable Description Units Details
tas Average air temperature K Air temperature is the bulk temperature of the air. This variable has been downscaled from the CCSM-3 monthly mean air temperature (tas) using statistical downscaling method.
ppt Total precipitation mm Monthly total precipitation. This variable has been downscaled from the CCSM-3 monthly mean precipitation flux (pr), using statistical downscaling method, and converted from flux units (kg m-2> s-1) to millimeters.
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