GEMPAK Manual |
Programs
GPRCM is a version of GPMAP that plots Radar Coded Message (RCM)
bulletins.
INPUT PARAMETERS
MAP Map color/dash/width/filter flag
GAREA Graphics area
PROJ Map projection/angles/margins|drop flag
SATFIL Satellite image filename(s)
RADFIL Radar image filename(s)
LATLON Line color/dash/width/freq/inc/label/format
PANEL Panel loc/color/dash/width/regn
TITLE Title color/line/title
TEXT Size/fnt/wdth/brdr/N-rot/just/hw flg
CLEAR Clear screen flag
DEVICE Device|name|x size;y size|color type
RCMFIL RCM data file
RADTIM Radar composite current/dattim
RADDUR Radar time window (minutes prior to RADTIM)
DITHER dither level
MESO meso color/marker/size/width/hw;filter
TVS tvs color/marker/size/width/hw;filter
CNTR Centroid barb color/size/width;filter
MAXTOP Maxtop color;filter
RADINFO Radar status color
ECHO Plot radar echoes (0,1,2)
CLRBAR Color/ornt/anch/x;y/ln;wd/freq|text_info
LUTFIL Enhancement lookup table filename
IMBAR Color/ornt/anch/x;y/ln;wd/freq|text_info
OUTPUT Output device/filename
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
GPRCM is derived from the standard GEMPAK program GPMAP.
The behavior is similar to gpmap, with the addition of
reading Radar Coded Message (RCM) bulletins and optionally
plotting radar echoes and/or annotations from the remarks
included within the RCM bulletin.
RCM bulletins contain digitized reflectivity values derived
from the 2.2 x 2.2 nmi NIDS Composite reflectivity product
over the radar area of coverage out to 248 nmi based on grid squares
approximately 5.4 nmi on a side. The reflectivity intensity
value for each grid box is determined by assigning the maximum
value of all Composite Reflectivity boxes whose centers
are contained within the grid square. The RCM message
comprises 9 intesity categories as follows:
Code Color Plotted
0 ND
1 15-30 dBZ 23
2 30-40 dBZ 22
3 40-45 dBZ 21
4 45-50 dBZ 20
5 50-55 dBZ 17
6 >= 55 dBZ 15
7 data beyond 124 nmi that are above threshold
8 data beyond 124 nmi that are below threshold
RCM data within a user specified time range are plotted.
RCMFIL is the RCM data file. Bulletins with radar observation times
in the RCM file will be plotted if the observation time is within
the range specified by the starting and ending times.
RADTIM (current or dattim) specifies the ending time for accepted data.
RADDUR is the number of minutes prior to the ending time to begin
accepting data.
DITHER is used to specify the plotting behavior of the reflectivity
intensities. A value of 0 specifies no dithering, the grid box is
completely filled. Values 1-4 increase the number of dither points
per grid box, approaching an increasingly opaque value. Dither
can be used to overlay image data with radar reflectivity in
order to simulate transparency. A dither value >= 5 will outline
the grid box.
MESO specifies the color/marker/size/width/hw for mesocyclones to be
marked. A color value of 0 is used to turn off mesocyclone plotting.
Marker attributes behave as MARKER for other plotting programs.
TVS specifies the color/marker/size/width/hw for tornado vortex signatures
to be marked. A color value of 0 is used to turn off TVS plotting.
CNTR specifies the color/size/width for Cell Centroid movement barbs (knots).
A value of 0 is used to turn off centroid plotting.
MAXTOP specifies the color for cell top annotations (feet).
A value of 0 is used to turn off cell top annotations.
RADINFO specifies the color for radar site operational status annotations.
NA, data not available; OM, out for maintenance; NE, no echoes.
ECHO specifies whether to plot the grid box intesities. A value of 0
specifies no plotting of echoes; 1 specifies plotting only those
echoes from radars in precipitation mode; 2 specifies plotting
of echoes from radars in both precipitation and clear air mode.
RCM summary information is directed to OUTPUT. Summary information
includes the station ID, reorting time, operational mode, and
mesocyclone and tornado vortex signature locations (if present).
GPRCM utilizes the nexrad.tbl station table to determine the radar
location (not all RCM bulletins contain radar location as of Nov. 1999).
The radars listed in the station table are also used to determine
which locations are missing (Not Available: NA).
EXAMPLES
1. Draw a Lambert Conformal map of the US.
Display RCM data from the file rcm.dat. Plot radar observations
for the past 60 minutes. Display the echo intensities (no dithering),
maxtop values in yellow, and radar status in red. Do not plot mesocyclon
or TVS locations. Plot the cell centroid motion barbs in white.
Use echoes from radar sites operating in precipitation mode only. Use
the default CLRBAR positioning.
GAREA = us
PROJ = str/90;-105;0
SATFIL =
RADFIL =
LATLON = 0
PANEL = 0
TITLE = 1/-1/Radar Summary
TEXT = 1.3/22/1/hw
CLEAR = yes
DEVICE = xw
RCMFIL = rcm.dat
RADTIM = current
RADDUR = 60
DITHER = 0
MESO = 0
TVS = 0
CNTR = 1/1/1
MAXTOP = 5
RADINFO = 2
ECHO = 1
CLRBAR = 1
LUTFIL =
2. Overlay the IR satellite imagery with RCM data for the US west coast.
Use a DITHER value of 2 to for moderate transparency. Plot the radar
CLRBAR horizontally above title. Satellite CLRBAR will be vertical along
the left side of the image.
GAREA = ca-
PROJ = sat
SATFIL = $SAT/GOES-10/4km/IR/IR_991108_1600
RADFIL =
LATLON = 0
PANEL = 0
TITLE = 1/-1/Satellite and Radar Composite
TEXT = 1/22/1/hw
CLEAR = yes
DEVICE = xw
RCMFIL = rcm.dat
RADTIM = current
RADDUR = 60
DITHER = 2
MESO = 0
TVS = 0
CNTR = 0
MAXTOP = 0
RADINFO = 0
ECHO = 1
CLRBAR = 1/h/cc/.46;.06
LUTFIL = default
ERROR MESSAGES
[GPRCM -1] Fatal error initializing TAE.
[GPRCM -2] Fatal error reading TAE parameters.
[GPRCM -3] Fatal error initializing GEMPLT.