TABLE 2: PARAMETERS & UNITS (Version 2) (PDS Octet 9)

VALUE PARAMETER (* means see Notes at bottom of table) UNITS ABBREV
000 Reserved    
001 Pressure Pa PRES
002 Pressure Reduced to Mean Sea Level Pa PRMSL
003 Pressure Tendency Pa/s PTEND
004 Potential Vorticity K m2/kg s PVORT
005 ICAO Standard Atmosphere Reference Height m ICAHT
006 Geopotential m2/s2 GP
007 Geopotential Height gpm HGT
008 Geometric Height m DIST
009 Standard Deviation of Height m HSTDV
010 Total Ozone Dobson TOZNE
011 Temperature K TMP
012 Virtual Temperature K VTMP
013 Potential Temperature K POT
014 Pseudo-Adiabatic Potential Temperature or
Equivalent Potential Temperature 		K EPOT
015 Maximum Temperature K TMAX
016 Minimum Temperature K TMIN
017 Dew Point Temperature K DPT
018 Dew Point Depression (or Deficit) K DEPR
019 Lapse Rate K/m LAPR
020 Visibility m VIS
021 Radar Spectra (1) * - RDSP1
022 Radar Spectra (2) * - RDSP2
023 Radar Spectra (3) * - RDSP3
024 Parcel Lifted Index (to 500 hPa) K PLI
025 Temperature Anomaly K TMPA
026 Pressure Anomaly Pa PRESA
027 Geopotential Height Anomaly gpm GPA
028 Wave Spectra (1) * - WVSP1
029 Wave Spectra (2) * - WVSP2
030 Wave Spectra (3) * - WVSP3
031 Wind Direction (from which blowing) deg true WDIR
032 Wind Speed m/s WIND
033 U-Component of Wind * m/s UGRD
034 V-Component of Wind * m/s VGRD
035 Stream Function * m2/s STRM
036 Velocity Potential m2/s VPOT
037 Montgomery Stream Function m2/s2 MNTSF
038 Sigma Coordinate Vertical Velocity /s SGCVV
039 Vertical Velocity (pressure) Pa/s VVEL
040 Vertical Velocity (geometric m/s DZDT
041 Absolute Vorticity /s ABSV
042 Absolute Divergence /s ABSD
043 Relative Vorticity /s RELV
044 Relative Divergence /s RELD
045 U-Component of Vertical Shear * /s

VUCSH
046 V-Component of Vertical Shear * /s VVCSH
047 Direction of Current deg true DIRC
048 Speed of Current m/s SPC
049 U-Component of Current * m/s UOGRD
050 V-Component of Current * m/s VOGRD
051 Specific Humidity kg/kg SPFH
052 Relative Humidity % RH
053 Humidity Mixing Ration kg/kg MIXR
054 Precipitable Water kg/m2 PWAT
055 Vapor Pressure Pa VAPP
056 Saturation Deficit Pa SATD
057 Evaporation kg/m2 EVP
058 Cloud Ice kg/m2 CICE
059 Precipitation Rate kg/m2/s PRATE
060 Thunderstorm Probability % TSTM
061 Total Precipitation kg/m2 APCP
062 Largs Scale Precipitation (non-convective) kg/m2 NCPCP
063 Convective Precipitation kg/m2 ACPCP
064 Snowfall Rate Water Equivalent kg/m2/s SRWEQ
065 Water Equivalent Accumulated Snow Depth kg/m2 WEASD
066 Snow Depth m SNOD
067 Mixed Layer Depth m MIXHT
068 Transient Thermocline Depth m TTHDP
069 Main Thermocline Depth m MTHD
070 Main Thermocline Anomaly m MTHA
071 Total Cloud Cover % TCDC
072 Convective Cloud Cover % CDCON
073 Low Cloud Cover % LCDC
074 Medium Cloud Cover % MCDC
075 Hight Cloud Cover % HCDC
076 Cloud Water kg/m2 CWAT
077 Best Lifted Index (to 500 hPa) K BLI
078 Convective Snow kg/m2 SNOC
079 Large Scale Snow (non-convective) kg/m2 SNOL
080 Water Temperature K WTMP
081 Land Cover (land=1, Sea=0) * fraction LAND
082 Deviation of Sea Level From Mean m DSLM
083 Surface Roughness m SFCR
084 Albedo % ALBDO
085 Soil Temperature K TSOIL
086 Soil Moisture Content kg/m2 SOILM
087 Vegetation % VEG
088 Salinity kg/kg SALTY
089 Density kg/m3 DEN
090 Water Runoff kg/m2 WATR
091 Ice Cover (ice=1, no ice=0) * fraction ICEC
092 Ice Thickness m ICETK
093 Direction of Ice Drift deg true DICED
094 Speed of Ice Drift m/s SICED
095 U-Component of Ice Drift * m/s UICE
096 V-Component of Ice Drift * m/s VICE
097 Ice Growth Rate m/s ICEG
098 Ice Divergence /s ICED
099 Snow Melt kg/m2 SNOM
100 Significant Height of Combined Wind Waves and Swell kg/m2m HTSGW
101 Direction of Wind Waves (from which) deg true WVDIR
102 Significant Height of Wind Waves m WVHGT
103 Mean Period of Wind Waves s WVPER
104 Direction of Swell Waves deg true SWDIR
105 Significant Height of Swell Waves m SWELL
106 Mean Period of Swell Waves s SWPER
107 Primary Wave Direction deg true DIRPW
108 Primary Wave Mean Period s PERPW
109 Secondary Wave Direction deg true DIRSW
110 Secondary Wave Mean Period s PERSW
111 Net Short Wave Radiation at Surface * W/m2 NSWRS
112 Net Long Wave Radiation at Surface * W/m2 NLWRS
113 Net Short Wave Radiation at Top of Atmosphere * W/m2 NSWRT
114 Net Long Wave Radiation at Top of Atmosphere * W/m2 NLWRT
115 Long Wave Radiation Flux * W/m2 LWAVR
116 Short Wave Radiation Flux * W/m2 SWAVR
117 Global Radiation Flux * W/m2 GRAD
118 Brightness Temperature K BRTMP
119 Radiance (with respect to Wave Number) W/m/sr LWRAD
120 Radiance (with respect to Wave Length) W/m3/sr SWRAD
121 Latent Heat Net Flux * W/m2 LHTFL
122 Sensible Heat Net Flux * W/m2 SHTFL
123 Boundary Layer Dissipation W/m2 BLYDP
124 U-Component of Momentum Flux * N/m2 UFLX
125 V-Component of Momentum Flux * N/m2 VFLX
126 Wind Mixing Energy J WMIXE
127 Image Data   IMGD
128 Mean Sea Level Pressure
(Standard Atmosphere Reduction)		 Pa MSLSA
129 Mean Sea Level Pressure
(MAPS System Reduction)
 Pa MSLMA
130 Mean Sea Level Pressure
(ETA Model Reduction)		 Pa MSLET
131 Surface Lifted Index K LFTX
132 Best (4-Layer) Lifted Index K 4LFTX
133 K Index K KX
134 SWEAT Index K SX
135 Horizontal Moisture Divergence kg/kg/s MCONV
136 Vertical Speed Shear /s VWSH
137 3-hr Pressure Tendency
(Standard Atmosphere Reduction)		 Pa/s TSLSA
138 Brunt-Vaisala Frequency (squared) /s2 BVF2
139 Potential Vorticity (density weighted) /s/m PVMW
140 Categorical Rain (yes=1, no=0) - CRAIN
141 Categorical Freezing Rain (yes=1, no=0) - CFRZR
142 Categorical Ice Pellets (yes=1, no=0) - CICEP
143 Categorical Snow (yes=1, no=0) - CSNOW
144 Volumetric Soil Moisture Content fraction SOILW
145 Potential Evaporation Rate W/m2 PEVPR
146 Cloud Workfunction J/kg CWORK
147 Zonal Flux of Gravity Wave Stress N/m2 UGWD
148 Meridional Flux of Gravity Wave Stress N/m2 VGWD
149 Potential Vorticity m2/s/kg PV
150 Covariance Between Meridional and Zonal Wind.
Defined as [uv]-[u][v], where "[]" indicates the mean over the indicated time span. 		m2/s2 COVMZ
151 Covariance Between Temperature and Zonal Wind.
Defined as [uT]-[u][T],
where "[]" indicates the mean over the indicated time span. 		K m/s COVTZ
152 Covariance Between Temperature and Meridional Wind.
Defined as [vT]-[v][T],
where "[]" indicates the mean over the indicated time span. 		K m/s COVTM
153 Cloud Water kg/kg CLWMR
154 Ozone Mixing Ratio kg/kg O3MR
155 Ground Heat Flux W/m2 GFLUX
156 Convective Inhibition J/kg CIN
157 Convective Available Potential Energy J/kg CAPE
158 Turbulent Kinetic Energy J/kg TKE
159 Condensation Pressure of Parcel Lifted from Indicated Surface Pa CONDP
160 Clear Sky Upward Short Wave Flux * W/m2 CSUSF
161 Clear Sky Downward Short Wave Flux * W/m2 CSDSF
162 Clear Sky Upward Long Wave Flux * W/m2 CSULF
163 Clear Sky Downward Long Wave Flux * W/m2 CSDLF
164 Cloud Forcing Net Short Wave Flux * W/m2 CFNSF
165 Cloud Forcing Net Long Wave Flux * W/m2 CFNLF
166 Visible Beam Downward Short Wave Flux * W/m2 VBDSF
167 Visible Diffuse Downward Short Wave Flux * W/m2 VDDSF
168 Near IR Beam Downward Short Wave Flux * W/m2 NBDSF
169 Near IR Diffuse Downward Short Wave Flux * W/m2 NDDSF
170 Rain Water Mixing Ratio kg/kg RWMR
171 Snow Mixing Ratio kg/kg SNMR
172 Momentum Flux N/m2 MFLX
173 Mass Point Model Surface - LMH
174 Velocity Point Model Surface - LMV
175 Model Layer Number (from bottom up) - MLYNO
176 Latitude (-90 to +90) deg NLAT
177 East Longitude (0 to 360) deg ELON
178 Ice Mixing Ratio kg/kg ICMR
179 Graupel Mixing Ratio kg/kg GRMR
181 X-Gradient of Log Pressure /m LPSX
182 Y-Gradient of Log Pressure /m LPSY
183 X-Gradient of Height m/m HGTX
184 Y-Gradient of Height m/m HGTY
185 Turbulence SIGMET/AIRMET - TURB
186 Icing SIGMET/AIRMET - ICNG
187 Lightning - LTNG
189 Virtual Potential Temperature K VPTMP
190 Storm Relative Helicity m2/s2 HLCY
191 Probability from Ensemble   PROB
192 Probability from Ensemble
(Normalized w.r.t. Climate Expectancy)		   PROBN
193 Probability of Precipitation % POP
194 Probability of Frozen Precipitation % CPOFP
195 Probability of Freezing Precipitation

%

 CPOZP
196 U-Component of Storm Motion * m/s USTM
197 V-Component of Storm Motion * m/s VSTM
198 Number Concentration for Ice Particles   NCIP
199 Direct Evaporation from Bare Soil W/m2 EVBS
200 Canopy Water Evaporation W/m2 EVCW
201 Ice-Free Water Surface % ICWAT
204 Downward Short Wave Radiation Flux * W/m2 DSWRF
205 Downward Long Wave Radiation Flux * W/m2 DLWRF
206 Ultra Violet Index
(1-hr integration centered at solar noon)		 J/m2 UVI
207 Moisture Availability % MSTAV
208 Exchange Coefficient (kg/m3)(m/s) SEEXC
209 Number of Mixed Layers Next to Surface   MIXLY
210 Transpiration W/m2 TRANS
211 Upward Short Wave Radiation Flux * W/m2 USWRF
212 Upward Long Wave Radiation Flux * W/m2 ULWRF
213 Amount of Non-Convective Cloud % CDLYR
214 Convective Precipitation Rate kg/m2/s CPRAT
215 Temperature Tendency by all Physics K/s TTDIA
216 Temperature Tendency by all Radiation K/s TTRAD
217 Temperature Tendency by Non-Radiation Physics K/s TTPHY
218 Precipitaion Index (0 to 1) *   PREIX
219 Standard Deviation of IR T over 1x1 Degree Area K TSD1D
220 Natural Log of Surface Pressure ln(kPa) NLGSP
221 Planetary Bounday Layer Height m HPBL
222 5-Wave Geopotential height gpm 5WAVH
223 Plant Canopy Surface Water kg/m2 CNWAT
224 Soil Type (Zobler) (0 to 9)   SOTYP
225 Vegetation Type (SiB) (0 to 13)   VGTYP
226 Blackadar's Mixing Length Scale m BMIXL
227 Asymptotic Mixing Length Scale m AMIXL
228 Potential Evaporation kg/m2 PEVAP
229 Snow Phase-Change Heat Flux W/m2 SNOHF
230 5-Wave Geopotential Height Anomaly gpm 5WAVA
231 Convective Cloud Mass Flux Pa/s MFLUX
232 Downward Total Radiation Flux * W/m2 DTRF
233 Upward Total Radiation Flux * W/m2 UTRF
234 Baseflow-Groundwater Runoff kg/m2 BGRUN
235 Storm Surface Runoff kg/m2 SSRUN
237 Total Ozone kg/m2 O3TOT
238 Snow Cover % SNOWC
239 Snow Temperature K SNOT
241 Large Scale Condensation Heating Rate K/s LRGHR
242 Deep Convective Heating Rate K/s CNVHR
243 Deep Convective Moistening Rate kg/kg/s CNVMR
244 Shallow Convective Heating Rate K/s SHAHR
245 Shallow Convective Moistening Rate kg/kg/s SHAMR
246 Vertical Diffusion Heating Rate K/s VDFHR
247 Vertical Diffusion Zonal Acceleration m/s2 VDFUA
248 Vertical Diffusion Meridional Acceleration m/s2 VDFVA
249 Vertical Diffusion Moistening Rate kg/kg/s VDFMR
250

Short Wave Radiative Heating Rate

 K/s SWHR
251 Long Wave Radiative Heating Rate K/s LWHR
252 Drag Coefficient - CD
253 Friction Velocity m/s FRICV
254 Richardson Number   RI
255 Missing    

Notes:

  1. By convention, downward net fluxes of radiation or other quantities are assigned negative values; upward net fluxes of radiation or other quantities are assigned positive values.
  2. Unidirectional flux values, where the direction of flow is indicated in the name of the parameter
    (e.g., 204, 205, 211, and 212), shall all have positive values irrespective of the direction of flow.
    Net (vertical) fluxes shall be calculated by subtracting the downward flux values from the upward flux values.
  3. The u and v components of vector quantities are defined with reference to GDS Octet 17 and Table 7. However, if the GDS is not included in a message, then any wind components are assumed to be resolved relative to the grid specified in the PDS with u and v defined as positive in the direction of increasing x and y (or i and j) coordinates respectively.
  4. Provision is made for three types of spectra:
    1) Direction and Frequency
    2) Direction and radial number
    3) Radial number and radial number
  5. Parameters 81 and 91 show the units as "fraction", thus allowing for a range of coverage. It is up to the user to employ the scaling (power of ten) to assure that the necessary precision is retained in the numeric values.
  6. Precipitation index (parameter 218) is defined as the fraction of satellite observed pixels with temperatures < 235K over a 1x1 box, centered at the gridpoint.