MM5 World Wide Data

MM5 is a widely-used three-dimensional numerical meteorological model which contains non-hydrostatic dynamics, a variety of physics options for parameterizing cumulus clouds, microphysics, the planetary boundary layer and atmospheric radiation. MM5 has the capability to perform Four Dimensional Data Assimilation (FDDA). MM5 is capable of simulating a variety of meteorological phenomena such as tropical cyclones, severe convective storms, sea-land breezes, and terrain forced flows such as mountain valley wind systems.

In order to facilitate the use of advanced non-steady-state air quality modeling techniques such as CALPUFF in areas with sparse or no meteorological observations, TRC is making available MM5 datasets in two formats:
Tiled Data Format: Convenient small portions of data and may be ordered in as many (or as few) as you need to cover your domain of interest. Tiles can be converted to CALMET-ready 3D.DAT files using extraction software provided with the data set. This format is intended for CALMET use only.
MMOUT Native Binary MM5 Output Format: The ideal file format when data needs to be used for applications other than CALMET (for example: grid modeling). The binary data is provided on a domain-wide basis only. MMOUT files can be converted to CALMET-ready 3D.DAT files using the CALMM5 preprocessing program.
CALMET can be run in "No-Observations Mode" with no other meteorological data other than the MM5 data, or it can be run in "Hybrid Mode" using observations together with the MM5 dataset (CALMET can also be run in an "Observations Only" mode using only observational data.)Available Data Sets - For a complete list of available data by domain please consult each World Region Web Page. If you do not see your requirements listed, please submit a SPECIAL ORDER REQUEST FORM.

For MM5 Special Data orders, please click here  SPECIAL ORDER REQUEST FORM

All MM5 Data Sets have been classified into six (6) world region groups, roughly corresponding to the continents. For more information, including available data sets and ordering information, please click on the links below.
Not sure what tile or domain is needed?  Please click on the button below to use the "Tile Selector" Application.  Note: Before you begin, please read the Tile Selector Help document for instructions for installing and using this application.   

MM5 CHARACTERISTICS include:

Hourly Time Resolution, Horizontal Grid Spacing, 3-D Variables and 2-D Variables
Horizontal grid spacing: 12 km (4 km or 1.33 km for higher resolution data). 40 vertical half-sigma levels. The nominal heights above the ground at a MM5 grid depend on its surface elevation. The nominal heights listed below are for a grid location at the sea level.
Below 100 meters: 1, 34, 60, 90, 123, 160, 202, 250, 304, 365, 434, 511, 600, 700, 814, 944 (meters)
1,000 - 3,500 Meters: 1092, 1262, 1455, 1678, 1934, 2231, 2576, 2980, 3456 (meters)
Above 3,500 Meters 4022, 4628, 5180, 5706, 6265, 6866, 7546, 8317, 9225, 10311, 11427, 12262, 12875, 13547, 14290 (meters)
3-D Variables Include
Wind speed and wind direction, Temperature, Relative Humidity, Pressure, Mixing ratios of water vapors, cloud water, rain water, ice, snow and graupel.
2-D Variables Include
Precipitation Amount, Short wave solar radiation, Long wave solar radiation, Snow cover, 2-m temperature and specific humidity, 10-m wind speed and direction, Sea surface temperature
Available Data Formats
Tiled (3 versions) Native MM5 Binary (1 version)
  1. Individual Tiles
  2. Regional Tile Groups - Country based groupings of tiled data (not all domains will be available)
  3. Full Domain (for use with CALPUFF modeling system)
  1. Full Domain only (for use with models such as CMAQ)
Available Data Storage
Individual tiles or the Regional Tile Groupings are available on either DVD or USB hard drive. The Full Domain dataset is provided on a hard drive only. Be sure to specify the hard drive format on the order form and include the fee if requesting the data on a hard drive.

External USB Hard Drive - Hard drives provided are USB 2.0 external drives of at least 250 GB capacity up to 2000 GB. The power supply can handle voltage in the range of 100-240V, 50-60Hz but contain a USA-type of electric plug that will require an adapter in other countries (not provided). User-supplied hard drives can be accommodated as a special order. Smaller drives (250 GB) do not require a power supply as these run on USB connection.

DVD Orders - MM5 data will be provided on DVDs, except for the Full Domain, which are available only on hard drives due to the large space requirements of the files.
Software
Easy-to-use software is provided with the tiles to uncompressed the data and create a CALMET-compatible 3D.DAT file. Any rectangular set of tiles can be combined into a 3D.DAT file for input into CALMET. The user selects a range in terms of latitude/longitude or MM5 grid points to be extracted and a time period and the extraction software will identify the tiles needed and perform the data extraction. New tiles can be added to existing tiles to allow the capability to create larger domains in the 3D.DAT files.

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For questions or comments, please contact asg@trcsolutions.com.
~ Last updated: May 8, 2012~