Staggered Meteorology Subset

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5439/1905827
File type abbreviation: metst

The staggered meteorology subset category contains variables related to the meteorological state that are staggered from the cell centers. The WRF model uses an Arakawa C grid with winds and heights located on the cell interfaces, while other variables are on the cell centers. The data are on the raw model levels for the horizontal wind components, as listed in Table 20, and the geopotential and vertical velocity component data are staggered in between the levels listed in that table.

Table 30 Variables in the staggered meteorology subset files

Variable Name

Description

U

U-wind component staggered in west-east direction

V

V-wind component staggered in south-north direction

W

W-wind component staggered in bottom-top direction

XLAT_U

latitude of staggered U grid

XLONG_U

longitude of staggered U grid

XLAT_V

latitude of staggered V grid

XLONG_V

longitude of staggered V grid

GEOPT_STAG

geopotential on staggered bottom_top grid