Outputs
Metview runs FLEXPART in a temporary directory. Having finished the simulation Metview converts and rename the output files and move them into the Output Path directory specified in the FLEXPART Run icon. The different output types handled in a different way.
Gridded outputs
Gridded outputs are converted to grib using local grib definitions built into Metview.
Please note that METVIEW uses a value scaling for the contour plots of gridded FLEXPART data. This scaling is only enabled when the Grid Scaling For Retrieved Fields parameter is set to on (this is the default value)in the Contouring icon. See the "Contouring units" column the tables below to find out how the scaling works for a given parameter.
The FLEXPART grib files has their own local section (Section 2) containing additional information about the given field and the FLEXPART simulation itself. The snapshot below taken from Metview's grib examiner shows the currently defined set of keys in Section 2.
Concentration
Concentration fields are only produced for forward simulations when Output Field Type is set to conc or both in FLEXPART Run.
The output filename is: conc_sSSS.grib where SSS is the species number (with leading zeros). The actual field type and units are based on the Receptor Units settings in the FLEXPART Run icon.
Options in FLEXPART Run | Description | GRIB shortname | GRIB paramId | GRIB units | Contouring units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| receptor_units=mass | mass concentration | conc | 20001 | kg m**-3 | ng m**-3 |
| receptor_units=mixr | mass mixing ratio | mxrm | 20002 | kg kg**-1 | ppt (mass) |
Volume mixing ratio
Volume mixing ratio fields are only produced for forward simulations when Output Field Type is set to mixr or both in FLEXPART Run.
The output filename is: pptv_sSSS.grib where SSS is the species number (with leading zeros).
| Description | GRIB shortname | GRIB paramId | GRIB units | Contouring units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| volume mixing ratio | mxrv | 20052 | mol mol**-1 | ppt (volume) |
Dry and wet deposition
These fields are only produced for forward simulations when Output Field Type is set to conc, mixr or both in FLEXPART Run. They are always inserted into the concentration or/and volume mixing ratio files.
| Description | GRIB shortname | GRIB paramId | GRIB units | Contouring units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dry deposition | fdd | 20197 | kg m**-2 | ng m**-2 |
| wet deposition | fwd | 20198 | kg m**-2 | ng m**-2 |
Fluxes
These fields are only produced for forward simulations when Output Flux is set to on in FLEXPART Run. The output filename is: flux_sSSS.grib where SSS is the species number (with leading zeros).
| Description | GRIB shortname | GRIB paramId | GRIB units | Contouring units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eastward flux | feflux | 20199 | kg m**-2 s**-1 | ng m**-2 s**-1 |
| westward flux | fwflux | 20200 | kg m**-2 s**-1 | ng m**-2 s**-1 |
| southward flux | fnflux | 20201 | kg m**-2 s**-1 | ng m**-2 s**-1 |
| northward flux | fsflux | 20202 | kg m**-2 s**-1 | ng m**-2 s**-1 |
| upward flux | fuflux | 20203 | kg m**-2 s**-1 | ng m**-2 s**-1 |
| downward flux | fdflux | 20204 | kg m**-2 s**-1 | ng m**-2 s**-1 |
Plume trajectories
Trajectories are produced when Output Trajectory is set to on in FLEXPART Run. The ASCII file generated by FLEXPART is split according to releases and converted into another (CSV) format that is better suited to metview. The output filenames are: tr_rR.csv where R is the release number.
The first row in the trajectory file contains metadata as a set of key value pairs, while the the second row contains the header.
Receptor output
Output at receptor points are produced when Receptors is set to on in FLEXPART Run. The binary file generated by FLEXPART is split according to species and converted to CSV.
When Receptor Units is set to mass in FLEXPART Run the output filename is
receptor_conc_sSSS.csv
when Receptor Units is set to mixr in FLEXPART Run the output filename is
on the output filename is
receptor_pptv_sSSS.csv
where SSS is the species number (with leading zeros).