List of parameters for PALM NCL scripts

The following lists give an overview of all existing parameters to steer the PALM NCL scripts. Further descriptions can be found in the configuration file .ncl.config.default​.
Most parameters are allocated with a suitable default value in the configuration file but some need to be changed before running any script. These variables are file_1 and if available file_2, ..., up to file_6.
In case of a job chain without extended output files, the scripts will automatically read all necessary files after indicating the first and the last cyclic number (see start_f and end_f).

The parameters are arranged in five different lists:

• Parameters which are common for all the four existing scripts
• Parameters for output of cross sections
• Parameters for output of profiles
• Parameters for output of spectra
• Parameters for output of timeseries

The following abbreviations for the NCL types are used in the lists:

Abbr.	Explanation	Example
D	double	2.0d
F	float	2.0
I	integer	2
S	string	"name"

The following abbreviations for the NCL scripts are used in the lists:

Abbr.	Explanation
CS	cross sections
PR	profiles
SP	spectra
TS	timeseries

Common parameters

Parameter Name	NCL Type	Default Value	Explanation
end_f	I	-1	Last cyclic number of data from a job chain that shall be used for input. Setting of end_f \= -1 is only useful when more than one file of a job chain exist. First cyclic number can be set with the parameter start_f.
end_time_step	D	-1.0d (last avail- able time step)	Last time step in hour. First time step can be set with start_time_step.
file_1	S	"File in"	Path and name of the input file.
file_out	S	"~/test_**"	Path and name of the output file. The output format of the file can be chosen with format_out.
font_size	F	0.04 (CS) 0.02 (PR+SP) 0.07 (TS)	Font size of the strings in the plots in height of ​NDC coordinates.
format_out	S	"x11"	Format of the output file. Supported file formats are: x11, pdf, ps, eps, epsi ncgm or png. The name and path of the output file can be chosen with file_out.
no_columns	I	1	Number of plots in one row. Number of plots in one columns can be set with no_rows.
no_rows	I	2	Number of plots in one column. Number of plots in one row can be set with no_columns.
start_f	I	-1	First cyclic number of data from a job chain that shall be used for input. Setting of start_f \= -1 is only useful when more than one file of a job chain exist. Last cyclic number can be set with the parameter end_f.
start_time_step	D	-1.0d (first avail- able time step)	First time step in hour. Last time step can be set with end_time_step.
var	S	"all"	Names of variables in the input file that shall be output. For output of u, v and w"pt" use var = 'u v w"pt"' in the prompt or var = ",u,v,w"+dq+"pt"+dq in .ncl.config.

Parameters for plotting cross sections

Parameter Name	NCL Type	Default Value	Explanation
axes_explicit	I	0	Explicit setting of the axes is switched of with axes_explicit = 0 and can be switched on by using the value axes_explicit = 1. When switched on, the parameters major_ticks_x, major_ticks_y, norm_x, norm_y, norm_z, unit_x, unit_y and unit_z can be set.
fill_mode	S	"RasterFill"	Type of filling of the contour plots. Further possibilities are fill_mode = "AreaFill" and fill_mode = "CellFill". In case of a large data set, setting of fill_mode = "AreaFill" leads to a long execution time of the script.
font_size_legend	F	0.04	Font size of legend strings in height of ​NDC coordinates.
legend_label_stride	I	2	With legend_label_stride = 2 every second label is displayed.
major_ticks_x	I	6	Setting of major_ticks_x is only used if axes_explicit = 1 and indicates the number of major tick marks at the x-axis.
major_ticks_y	I	6	Setting of major_ticks_y is only used if axes_explicit = 1 and indicates the number of major tick marks at the y-axis.
mode	S	"Fill"	Type of plot. mode = "Fill" leads to contour plots, mode = "Line" results in an isoline plot and mode = "Both" is a combination of the aforementioned types.
norm_x	F	1.0	Setting of norm_x is only possible if axes_explicit = 1 and normalizes the x-axis with the given value. norm_x = 1.0 results in no normalization. The resulting unit of the axis can be set explicitly with unit_x.
norm_y	F	1.0	Setting of norm_y is only possible if axes_explicit = 1 and normalizes the y-axis with the given value. norm_y = 1.0 results in no normalization. The resulting unit of the axis can be set explicitly with unit_y.
norm_z	F	1.0	Setting of norm_z is only possible if axes_explicit = 1 and normalizes the z-axis with the given value. norm_z = 1.0 results in no normalization. The resulting unit of the axis can be set explicitly with unit_z.
plotvec	S	"plotvec"	Setting of plotvec is only possible if the vector plot is switched on: vector = 1. plotvec can contain a list of variables on which the vector plot shall be overlaid. For example, if the vector plot shall be overlaid to pt and w, use plotvec = 'pt w' in the prompt and plotvec=",pt,w," in .ncl.config.
ref_mag	F	0.05	Length of the reference vector in a vector plot in height of ​NDC coordinates. Setting is only possible with vector plot switched on: vector = 1
shape_cs	I	1	Aspect ratio of the plot is kept with shape = 1 and not kept with shape = 0.
sort	string	"height"	Type of the sorting of the plots. If sort = "height" the plots are sorted by height and if sort = "time" the plots are sorted by time.
unit_x	S	" "	Setting of unit_x is only possible if axes_explicit = 1 and useful if a normalization of the axis is used (see norm_x). The default unit is meter.
unit_y	S	" "	Setting of unit_y is only possible if axes_explicit = 1 and useful if a normalization of the axis is used (see norm_y). The default unit is meter.
unit_z	S	" "	Setting of unit_z is only possible if axes_explicit = 1 and useful if a normalization of the axis is used (see norm_z). The default unit is meter.
vector	I	0	By default, no vector plots are produced with vector = 0. Vector plots can be switched on with vector = 1. Then, the setting of the components for the vector plot is required. A plot of horizontal wind vectors can be achieved by vec1='u' in the prompt and vec1=",u," in .ncl.config and vec2='v' or vec2=",v,". Further on, the vector plot can be overlaid on other plots by using plotvec.
vec1	S	"component1"	First component for the vector plot. Setting is only possible with vector plot switched on: vector = 1. By using vec1='u' in the prompt and vec1=",u," in .ncl.config for example, the first component of the vector plot is the wind component in x-direction.
vec2	S	"component2"	Second component for the vector plot. Setting is only possible with vector plot switched on: vector = 1. By using vec2='w' in the prompt and vec2=",w," in .ncl.config for example, the second component of the vector plot is the wind component in z-direction.
xe	D	-1.0d (last avail- able value)	Value for maximum of the x-axis which is only selectable if there are no preset layers for x. The value has to be given in meter which is rounded internally to the next existent grid point on the file. The minimum value of the x-axis can be set with xe.
xs	D	-1.0d (first avail- able value)	Value for minimum of the x-axis which is only selectable if there are no preset layers for x. The value has to be given in meter which is rounded internally to the next existent grid point on the file. The maximum value of the x-axis can be set with xs.
ye	D	-1.0d (last avail- able value)	Value for maximum of the y-axis which is only selectable if there are no preset layers for y. The value has to be given in meter which is rounded internally to the next existent grid point on the file. The minimum value of the y-axis can be set with ye.
ys	D	-1.0d (first avail- able value)	Value for minimum of the y-axis which is only selectable if there are no preset layers for y. The value has to be given in meter which is rounded internally to the next existent grid point on the file. The maximum value of the x-axis can be set with ys.
zs	D	-1.0d (first avail- able value)	Value for minimum of the z-axis which is only selectable if there are no preset layers for z. The value has to be given in meter which is rounded internally to the next existent grid point on the file. The maximum value of the z-axis can be set with zs.

Parameters for plotting profiles

Parameter Name	NCL Type	Default Value	Explanation
black	I	0	The default setting black = 0 leads to colored lines in the plot and black = 1 results in black and white plots.
combine	I	0	Combining of several individual variables in one plot is switched on with combine = 1. The number of combined variables has to be set in number_comb. And the variables have to be specified in c_var.
c_var	S	"c_variables"	List of variables that shall be plotted in a combined plot. This setting is only available when combine = 1. The list must contain number_comb entries. If a combination of u,v and w is desired, set c_var = 'u v w' in the prompt or c_var = ",u,v,w," in .ncl.config.
dash	I	0	The use of dashed lines in the plots can be switched on with dash = 1. The default dash = 0 leads to continuous lines.
end_f_2	I	-1	end_f_2 is only used when no_files > 1 and denotes the last cyclic number of data from a job chain that shall be used for input of file_2. Setting of end_f_2 \= -1 is only useful when more than one file of a job chain exist. The first cyclic number can be set with the parameter start_f_2.
. . .	. . .	. . .	. . .
end_f_6	I	-1	end_f_6 is only used when no_files > 1 and denotes the last cyclic number of data from a job chain that shall be used for input of file_6. Setting of end_f_6 \= -1 is only useful when more than one file of a job chain exist. The first cyclic number can be set with the parameter start_f_6.
end_x	I	-1	If 3D data (DATA_3D_NETCDF or DATA_3D_AV_NETCDF) is used as input, end_x denotes the last grid point which is included in averaging in grid points. The default end_x = -1 uses all grid points in x-direction.
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz

Parameters for plotting spectra

Parameter Name	NCL Type	Default Value	Explanation
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz

Parameters for plotting timeseries

Parameter Name	NCL Type	Default Value	Explanation
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz
platz	platz	platz	platz