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Help plotting CAPE in GEMPAK?


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I just want to use GDPLOT2 to get CAPE plotted from a gridded model file.

 

I tried

 

GLEVEL=0

GVCORD=NONE

GDPFUN=CAPE

 

which is what my prof told me it was, and that didn't work for the NAM, GFS, or RUC.

 

Then I started Googling and I've tried several different functions but none of those work either.

 

It just keeps saying scalar/vector can't be computed.

 

Anyone have any suggestions?

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I found an old GEMPAK script from my meteorology school days that plotted surface based CAPE. Unfortunately, it's been a while since I've played with GEMPAK as I mostly use GrADS nowadays, so I hope it still works.

 

The function that plots CAPE in GEMPAK requires several different arguments, a pressure at a height level, and then the height, dewpoint, and temperature in Celsius at that level. See code snippet below (this was taken from a shell script that invokes and runs GEMPAK):

 

gdplot3 << endgdplot3

gdattim=$date
gdfile=$file
glevel=none
gvcord=pres
panel=0
skip=0
scale=0
gdpfun=cape(pres@2%hght,hght@2%hght,tmpc@2%hght,dwpc@2%hght)
type=f
contur=3/5
cint=
line=
fint=100/1000/3200
fline=31;30-8
clrbar=1/H//0;0/|0.5/2/HW
wind=0
title=27/-3/~
text=1
clear=yes
device=GF|sfccape$time.gif|1000;800
proj=lcc
garea=41;-77;45;-71
map=32
filter=yes
colors=1
r

e
endgdplot3

gpend

 

 

Hope this helps.

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Nah, same error.  Although I'm using GDPLOT2, not GDPLOT3:

 

[DG -7]  Input grid PRES ^130130/0000F015 @2 %HGHT in CAPE cannot be found.
 [GDPLOT 2]  The requested scalar/vector cannot be computed.

 

I'm beginning to wonder if 211 files are missing something that higher number files have or something.

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Nah, same error.  Although I'm using GDPLOT2, not GDPLOT3:

 

 

I'm beginning to wonder if 211 files are missing something that higher number files have or something.

 

Hmm, it worked for me. The code in your original post should've worked too if the grid file you're using has CAPE in it. I think the code I posted is for a grid file that doesn't have CAPE in it, but has those other parameters.

 

Be sure to check that your filename/path with gdfile and time with gdattim are correct.

 

Did you use nagrib to convert the gridded file to a GEMPAK readable format? GEMPAK can't just read a file directly in grib or grib2 format.

 

The other potential issue is that you may be using the wrong grib file and that it doesn't contain the variables you need to calculate and plot CAPE in GEMPAK.

 

You can check to see what variables are in a model grid by viewing the idx (a text file that can be viewed in browser) files associated with each grib file. For today's 18z GFS run you can go to http://www.ftp.ncep.noaa.gov/data/nccf/com/gfs/prod/gfs.2013042618/ and click on the idx file to see what's in the grid. If you need help interpreting the acronyms, you can look them up here: http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/products/gfs/

 

You can also send an email to gembud if you're continuing to have issues: http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/gempak/package_information/gembud.html

 

Someone else on here may be able to chime in as well as it's been a little while since I've played with GEMPAK.

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http://mtarchive.geol.iastate.edu/2013/01/30/gempak/model/

 

I've tried with ruc, nam, and avn 211 files of various hours.

 

Not having any issues with any of the NAM or "AVN" files.  Here's a sample session...I removed the params that weren't explicitly set to something:

 

GEMPAK-GDPLOT2>l

 GDFILE   = 2013013000_nam212.gem

 GDATTIM  = f018

 GLEVEL   = 0

 GVCORD   = none

 PANEL    = 0

 SKIP     = 0

 SCALE    = 999

 GDPFUN   = cape

 TYPE     = C

 CONTUR   = 0

 CINT     = 0

 LINE     = 3

 FINT     = 0

 FLINE    = 10-20

 WIND     = BM1

 TITLE    = 1

 TEXT     = 1

 CLEAR    = YES

 GAREA    = 15.0;-131.7;53.0;-61.5

 PROJ     = MER/0.0;-87.5;0.0

 MAP      = 1

 MSCALE   = 0

 DEVICE   = XW

 POSN     = 0

 COLORS   = 1

 MARKER   = 0

 GRDLBL   = 0

 FILTER   = YES

 GEMPAK-GDPLOT2>r

 Number of times =  1

 1 130130/0000F018

 PARAMETERS FOR GDPLOT : FRAME NUMBER  1 INITIAL PLOT SETTINGS -

    GDFILE=2013013000_nam212.gem, GDATTIM=130130/0000F018

    GAREA=15.0;-131.7;53.0;-61.5, PROJ=MER/0.0;-87.5;0.0, MAP=1, LATLON=

    PANEL=0, TITLE=1

    OVERLAY  TYPE       LEVEL           VCORD       GRID FUNCTION

        1    C          0               NONE        CAPE

 Parameters requested: GDFILE,GDATTIM,GLEVEL,GVCORD,PANEL,SKIP,SCALE,GDPFUN,

 TYPE,CONTUR,CINT,LINE,FINT,FLINE,HILO,HLSYM,CLRBAR,WIND,REFVEC,TITLE,TEXT,

 CLEAR,GAREA,IJSKIP,PROJ,MAP,MSCALE,LATLON,DEVICE,STNPLT,SATFIL,RADFIL,

 IMCBAR,LUTFIL,STREAM,POSN,COLORS,MARKER,GRDLBL,FILTER.

 GEMPAK-GDPLOT2>

 

The (rather ugly) image from the above info is attached.  HTH.

post-3175-0-34032000-1367295376_thumb.gi

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