RAOBCON

Contours upper-air data from IRAB-schema point files.

Formats

RAOBCON param level map time day [keywords]
RAOBCON par1-par2 lev1-lev2 map time1-time2 day1-day2 [keywords]

Parameters

param	parameter to contour; valid parameters are those defined in the RAOBCON.CORE, RAOBCON.SITE and RAOBCON.USER files; see the Remarks for more information and a list of the parameters in RAOBCON.CORE (default=T)
par1-par2	parameter difference to contour, e.g., T-TD for dewpoint depression; see the Remarks
level	level of the data; valid options are the mandatory levels: SFC, TRO1, TRO2, MAXW, 1000, 925, 850, 700, 500, 400, 300, 250, 200, 150, 100, 70, 50, 30, 20, 10 (default=500)
lev1-lev2	level difference to contour, e.g., 1000-500 to subtract 500mb data from 1000mb data; see the Remarks
map	map for the contour; see the MAP command for a list of valid predefined maps, for example, FL, MID, USA, WORL (default=do not draw a map; use the navigation of the frame specified with NAV keyword)
time	observation time (default=0 if current time is between 0 UTC and 11:59 UTC; otherwise default=12)
time1-time2	time difference to contour, e.g., 12-6 to subtract 6 UTC data from 12 UTC data; see the Remarks
day	observation date; valid formats include YYYYDDD, YYYY/MM/DD, and DD/MON/YYYY where YYYY, DDD, MM, and DD are integers and MON is three or more letters, for example, JAN or JANUARY (default=current)
day1-day2	day difference to contour, e.g., 2000110-2000109 to subtract day 2000109 data from day 2000110 data; see the Remarks

Keywords

CINt=	num	contour interval; specify 0 to let RAOBCON compute a reasonable interval; specify your own interval as an integer or decimal value greater than zero (default=from the CONTOUR.DEF text file; if no file entry matches the parameter, level, and units, default=0)
	string	contour values; specify the name of a string that contains up to 64 values; e.g., CINT=SNOWDEPTH will draw contours at the values specified in the string named SNOWDEPTH
COLor=	graphics color level for the display (default=2)
DASh=	ALL	dash all contours
	NEG	dash negative contours only
	POS	dash positive contours only
DATaset=	ADDE point dataset name and position; specify as group/descriptor.position or alias.position where position is a positive integer (absolute position), 0 or a negative integer (relative position), or ALL (default=RTPTSRC/UPPERMAND.ALL)
GRA=	graphic frame number for the display (default=current)
LSIze=	contour label height, in pixels (default=8)
NAV=	num	frame to use for navigation
	C	use the current frame's navigation (default)
	you cannot use the NAV keyword if you specify a map with the map parameter
UNIt=	units for the specified parameter; see the Remarks for defaults; run the CU LIST command to list the valid units and abbreviations for the parameters that can be changed

Remarks

RAOBCON builds and runs a PTCON command to display mandatory-level upper-air data from IRAB-schema point files. RAOBCON accepts all the keywords in the PTCON command except LAT, LON, MAP, PRO, SLAT, SLON and PARAM because they may conflict with RAOBCON's parameters or keywords. You can use the PTCON SELECT keyword to limit the analysis to a specified list or range of values, but you cannot specify a different parameter, level, time, day or unit than those defined by the RAOBCON parameters or keywords.

The table below lists the parameter name, default units and a description of each parameter defined in the RAOBCON.CORE file. Default units enclosed in parenthesis cannot be changed. The .CORE file is supplied with McIDAS-X and should not be modified. The .USER file overrides the .SITE file, which overrides the .CORE file. This order of precedence allows you or your site to change existing parameters and/or add new parameters in your .USER or .SITE file. To create a .USER or .SITE file, copy the .CORE file from ~mcidas/data to your $HOME/mcidas/data directory (or another MCPATH directory), rename it, then edit the existing predefined parameters and/or add new ones.

param	Default Units	Description
ELEV	M	station elevation
P	MB	pressure
Z	M	height from surface
T	C	temperature
TD	C	dew point temperature
MIX	(G/KG)	mixing ratio
THA	(K)	potential temperature
THAE	(K)	equivalent potential temperature
DIR	(degrees)	wind direction
SPD	KTS	wind speed
STREAML		streamlines
ABV	(sec^-1)	absolute vorticity
VOR	(sec^-1)	vorticity
DVG	(sec^-1)	divergence

Parameter advection or divergence is done by appending ADV or DVG to the parameter name, e.g., TADV and SPDDVG. Parameters with their default units enclosed in parenthesis in the table above (e.g., MIX, THA and ABV) and advected or diverged parameters cannot be used with the differencing options (par1-par2, lev1-lev2, time1-time2 and day1-day2).

If you specify both a time difference (time1-time2) and a day difference (day1-day2), RAOBCON contours the values equal to the parameter and level at time1,day1 minus the parameter and level at time2,day2. For example, RAOBCON Z 500 USA 0-12 2000123-2000122 contours the values equal to the 500-mb heights at 0 UTC, day 2000123 minus the 500-mb heights at 12 UTC, day 2000122.

If you specify a parameter difference (par1-par2) with a time difference and day difference, RAOBCON contours the values equal to the parameter difference at time1,day1 minus the parameter difference at time2,day2. For example, RAOBCON T-TD 500 USA 0-12 2000123-2000122 contours the values equal to the 500-mb dewpoint depression at 0 UTC, day 2000123 minus the 500-mb dewpoint depression at 12 UTC, day 2000122. If you also include a level difference (lev1-lev2), RAOBCON does the computations for both levels. For example, RAOBCON T-TD 850-500 USA 0-12 2000123-2000122 contours the values computed by the equation [A-B]-[C-D], where:

A = 850-mb dewpoint depression at 0 UTC, day 2000123
B = 500-mb dewpoint depression at 0 UTC, day 2000123
C = 850-mb dewpoint depression at 12 UTC, day 2000122
D = 500-mb dewpoint depression at 12 UTC, day 2000122

Examples

RAOBCON

This entry contours 500-mb temperatures for the current day and time using the navigation of the current frame.

RAOBCON P SFC USA 12 UNIT=INHG COLOR=7 LABEL='Surface Pressure, in inches of mercury' 7 420 150

This entry contours surface pressure in inches of mercury at 12 UTC over a map of the United States. The contours are drawn in graphics color level 7. The default label below the plot is replaced with the text Surface Pressure, in inches of mercury near the center of the frame in graphics color level 7. Label is a PTCON keyword

TE DEWPOINTS "-20 -10 0 10 20 25 30 32 35

RAOBCON TD 700 CINT=DEWPOINTS DASH=NEG UNIT=F

The TE command creates a string called DEWPOINTS containing contour values for the RAOBCON entry. The RAOBCON entry draws the 700-mb 20, -10, 0, 10, 20, 25, 30, 32, and 35° Fahrenheit dew-point temperature contours for the current day and time using the navigation of the current frame. The -20° and -10° contours are dashed; the others are solid. Do not specify a pound sign (#) before the string name in the CINT keyword.

RAOBCON Z 500 USA 12 17/JAN/1996 DATASET=CLIMATE/1996

This entry plots 500-mb temperatures over a map of the United States. The data is from 12 UTC on 17 January 1996 in dataset CLIMATE/1996.

RAOBCON VOR 500 USA 0

This entry contours today's 0 UTC 500-mb relative vorticity over a map of the United States.

RAOBCON Z 500 EURO 0 2000131-2000130

This entry contours the 24-hour 500-mb height change from 0 UTC, day 2000130 to 0 UTC, day 2000131 over a map of Europe.