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This The following is a description of GloFAS v4.1, available as fully operational GloFAS from 28 February 2024.

the latest operational release of GloFAS v3.3. For an overview of other GloFAS releases, please see : GloFAS versioning system.

Summary

GloFAS version 3.3 is associated with a change in ECMWF IT infrastructure and the necessary modifications to a number of software. Here is a summary of the main changes:

1. New version of LISFLOOD

LISFLOOD version 3.2.0 is used in this GloFAS release. It includes important developments, such as:

• enhanced code capability to handle inputs;
• new netCDF readers based on xarray that allow for more flexibility and efficiency, dramatically decreasing the time required to load large inputs thus leading to improved computational performances;
• extensive use of unit tests to verify the functioning of the model and enhance collaborative development of the code;
• improvements of the management of latitude and longitude grids to allow maximum precision of the reference system;
• porting of the code to python3.

The modelling of the hydrological processes has not changed compared to the version of the model used in the previous GloFAS release.

For more information, please visit the dedicated GitHub space: https://github.com/ec-jrc/lisflood-code/releases

2. Enhancement of the web reporting points layer

• Introducing over 400 new river stations (grey symbols, for monitoring the hydrological forecast) in the reporting point layer
  • 279 in Africa
    • 45 in Mozambique, 29 in Cote d'Ivoire, 23 in Togo, 22 in Guinea, 19 in Cameroon, 16 in Chad, 14 in Namibia, 11 in Benin and Nigeria, 10 in Sudan and Zambia, 9 in Republic of Congo, 7 in Malawi and Rwanda, 6 in Senegal and Tanzania, 5 in Burkina Faso and Mali, 4 in Gabon and South Africa, 3 in Congo and Guinea Bissau, 2 in Algeria, Morocco and Zimbabwe and finally 1 new station in Botswana, Central African Republic, Ethiopia and Lesotho
  • 73 in Central America
    • 64 In Guatemala and 9 in Honduras
  • 65 in South America
    • all 65 in Argentina
  • 28 in Asia
    • 23 in China and 5 in Bangladesh

Technical details

v4.1 introduces several minor changes to the system, including:

• Increased offering of forecast variables made available through the Climate Data Store. See Model Output page for details. The data will also be made available for the reanalysis: 
  • Runoff Water Equivalent (surface plus subsurface),
  • Snow Depth Water Equivalent,
  • and Soil Wetness Index (root-zone).
• Improved reporting point layer, with additional metadata available for 'dynamic reporting points'. 
• Improved information on the GloFAS map viewer (updated legends and layer titles). 
• GloFAS Flood thresholds available for various return periods, see Auxiliary Data pages for GloFAS v4.0 flood threshold files.

This upgrade of GloFAS has no impacts on the GloFAS modelling results.

Technical details