README.md

Characterising the EUREC4A field campaign environment

The aim of this git repository is collect tools and ideas for characterising the atmospheric environment during the EUREC4A field campaign.

See below for how to work with the module or the list of variables that are (being) implemented

Working with eurec4a_environment

Depending on whether you want to a) just use the module or b) contribute to it you can either install with pip directly or check out a copy locally and make that available in your PYTHONPATH

a) Installing with pip

eurec4a_environment isn't yet on pipy, but you can install it directly from github:

pip install git+https://https://github.com/eurec4a/eurec4a-environment#egg=eurec4a_environment

b) Cloning and using a local copy

To develop on eurec4a_environment you'll need to make a local copy by cloning this repository. The best thing is to create your own fork first (so you can push your branches to there and make pull-requests from there) and then clone that

1. Create your own fork of eurec4a_environment

2. Clone your fork to your local computer

$> git clone https://github.com/{your-github-username}/eurec4a-environment

3. Install your local copy with pip in developer mode (so that any changes you make to the source-code locally will be available when you import eurec4a_environment). Make sure to have the python environment active that you want to install this module into:

$> cd eurec4a-environment
$> pip install --editable .

Variables, definitions and source data

NOTE: The tables below are likely out-of-date (but will be updated at the end of the hackathon), see the project document for a more up-to-date list and discussion.

Column-based scalars

(could be averaged over flight, full-circle, single sounding etc)

variable	description	definition	data sources	implementation
h_BL	boundary layer depth	numerous definitions (add links)	thermodynamic profiles
h_CB	cloud-base height	numerous definitions (add links)	thermodynamic profiles
SST	sea surface temperature	-	ship observations (?), ERA reanalysis
EIS	estimated inversion strength	?	thermodynamic profiles
LTS	lower tropospheric stability	?	thermodynamic profiles
PW	precipitable water	?	thermodynamic profiles
FT humidity	free tropospheric humidity	?	thermodynamic profiles
"wind speed"	lower tropospheric wind magnitude?	-	horizontal wind profiles
"wind shear"	lower tropospheric wind shear magnitude?	-	horizontal wind profiles
z_INV	"inversion height" (multiple?)	?	thermodynamic profiles
?	"mesoscale organisation category"	fish/flower/sugar/gravel	satellite observations
I_org	mesoscale organisation	Tompkins & Semie 2017	thresholded cloud-field measurement, for example cloud-top height	https://github.com/leifdenby/convorg
SCAI	mesoscale organisation	Tobin et al 2012	thresholded cloud-field measurement, for example cloud-top height	https://github.com/leifdenby/convorg
LHF	latent heat flux	Modified COARE algorithm	thermodynamic profiles + surface instruments
SHF	sensible heat flux	Modified COARE algorithm	thermodynamic profiles + surface instruments
SBF	surface buoyancy flux	Modified COARE algorithm	thermodynamic profiles + surface instruments

Profile variables

variable	short-hand	observation sources
qt(z)	total water vertical profile	JOANNE + radiosondes
dQdt_r(z)	radiative cooling profiles	radiative transfer calculations based on moisture and temperature profiles (Products/Radiative Profiles/all_rad_profiles.nc on AERIS)
theta_v(z)	virtual potential temperature profile	JOANNE + radiosondes
u(z)	zonal wind profile	JOANNE + radiosondes, wind lidars
v(z)	meridonal wind profile	JOANNE + radiosondes, wind lidars
w(z)	vertical wind profile	Lidars, radars (?)
W(z)	large-scale vertical velocity profile	JOANNE