WRF Forecast System

Scripts and documentation to run your own WRF model forecast system on ArchLinux. The descriptions will grow together with the uploaded files. A description that summarizes the requried steps and gives additional information will be available shortly.

Current version: v0.8.2

License

The scripts are licensed under the given license file. 3rd party software and scripts are marked and can have different license conditions. Please check the folders for subsidiary license files.

Current content of the repository

• scripts to install the wrf model on a minimum ArchLinux installation
• basic script collection to start a model run
• scripts to deploy a precompiled archive on an ArchLinux system

Folder Overview

• wrf_install: readme
  • contains scripts to install and configure the wrf model and its requirements
• wrf_run: readme
  • contains scripts to fetch the required input data, prepare the start values and execute a model run
• wrf_deploy: readme
  • contains scripts to download and deploy a precompiled wrf archive with all required libraries
• additions: readme
  • additional config files that can help running the model

Sources

• basic system: here
• wrf tutorial: here
• ncl output: here

Software components (last query: 2023-06-10)

Starting with the compilation of WRFV4.4 some dependencies that were manually compiled for the model are now installed through the package repositories provided by the ArchLinux operating system. The used software components are now separated: one list the selfcompiled sources and the other list the packaged ones.

Selfcompiled

• WRF model: Source, used version: 4.5; newest 4.5
• WPS component: Source, used version: 4.5; newest 4.5
• Network Common Data Form (NetCDF): Source and Terms of use, used version: 4.9.2; newest 4.9.2
• Hierarchical Data Format 5 (HDF5): Source and Terms of use used version: 1.14.1; newest 1.14.1
• NetCDF-Fortran Library: Source and Terms of use, used version: 4.6.1; newest: 4.6.1
• Message Passing Interface (mpich): Source and License, used version: 4.1.2; newest: 4.1.2

ArchLinux Packages

• PNG reference library (libpng): Source and License, used version: ArchLinux package; newest: 1.6.39
• A Massively Spiffy Yet Delicately Unobtrusive Compression Library (zlib): Source and License, used version: ArchLinux package; newest: 1.2.13
• JasPer Project (JasPer): Source and License, used version: ArchLinux package; newest: 4.0.0

Optional postprocessing tools:

• (DEFAULT) wrf_visualization based on pyngl, pynio: Source
• Unified Post Processor (UPP): Source, needs email validation
• (DEPRECATED) NCAR Command Language (NCL): Source and Terms of use, used version: 6.4.0_nodap Binaries; newest version 6.6.2;
  • no longer developed Source
  • usage only with wrf_archlinux below v0.5.0; support will be dropped with v0.5.0.

Working setup and testing setups

This section describes the current working setup based under the condition that the installation is successful and a model run is starting for a given time stamp of input data. Unstable means that for the current namelist-files some model runs end preliminary with an error. The different setups will be categorized in

• {compiling, not_compiling}
• {debug_build, normal_build, hybrid_build, combined_build}
• {stable, running, unstable, not_running}

All setups for WRFV3.x use gcc/gcc-libs/gcc-gfortran 6.3.1-2 until described otherwise. Please note that all versions of WRFV3 are now deprecated and need older script releases or manual adjustments to work. WRFV4 uses the latest version of gcc/gcc-gfortran avaiable at the time of testing:

• current setup:
  • WRF Model v4.2.0 and WPS v4.2 [compiling, normal_build, running]
  • NetCDF v4.7.4 / NetCDF-Fortran Library v4.5.2, HDF 1.12.0
  • mpi v3.3, libpng v1.6.37, zlib v1.2.11, JasPer v1.900.2
  • gcc/gfortran: 13.2
• testing setup:
  • WRF Model v4.5.0 and WPS v4.5 [compiling, normal_build, running]
  • NetCDF v4.9.2 / NetCDF-Fortran Library v4.6.1, HDF 1.14.1
  • mpi, libpng, zlib, JasPer as ArchLinux packages
  • gcc/gfortran: 13.1.1
• tested setups:
  • WRF Model and WPS v3.8.1 [compiling, normal_build, unstable]
  • NetCDF v4.4.1.1 / NetCDF-Fortran Library v4.4.4
  • mpi v3.2, libpng v1.6.34, zlib v1.2.11, JasPer v1.900.2
  • WRF Model and WPS v3.9 [compiling, normal_build, unstable]
  • NetCDF v4.5.0 / NetCDF-Fortran Library v4.4.4
  • mpi v3.2.1, libpng v1.6.34, zlib v1.2.11, JasPer v1.900.1
  • WRF Model and WPS v3.91 [compiling, normal_build, unstable]
  • NetCDF v4.6.0 / NetCDF-Fortran Library v4.4.4
  • mpi v3.2.1, libpng v1.6.34, zlib v1.2.11, JasPer v1.900.2
  • WRF Model and WPS v3.9.1 [compiling, normal_build, stable]
  • NetCDF v4.6.0 / NetCDF-Fortran Library v4.4.5
  • mpi v3.2, libpng v1.6.34, zlib v1.2.11, JasPer v1.900.1
  • WRF Model v4.1.5 and WPS v4.1 [compiling, normal_build, running]
  • NetCDF v4.7.4 / NetCDF-Fortran Library v4.5.2, HDF 1.12.0
  • mpi v3.3, libpng v1.6.37, zlib v1.2.11, JasPer v1.900.2
  • WRF Model v4.2.0 and WPS v4.2 [compiling, normal_build, running]
  • NetCDF v4.7.4 / NetCDF-Fortran Library v4.5.2, HDF 1.12.0
  • mpi v3.3, libpng v1.6.37, zlib v1.2.11, JasPer v1.900.2
  • gcc/gfortran: 9.3
  • WRF Model v4.4.0 and WPS v4.4 [compiling, normal_build, running]
  • NetCDF v4.8.1 / NetCDF-Fortran Library v4.5.4, HDF 1.13.0
  • mpi, libpng, zlib, JasPer as ArchLinux packages
  • gcc/gfortran: 12.1

Deprecated WRF versions

• WRF v3.8.0, v3.8.1: last supported release wrf_archlinux v0.4.6
• WRF v3.9.0: last supported release wrf_archlinux v0.5.0
• WRF v3.9.1: last supported release wrf_archlinux v0.6.1

Todos

Check the subsidiary readmes or issues for further work

• wrf_install: readme
• wrf_run: readme
• wrf_deploy: readme

Contributing

• Fork it
• Create your feature branch (git checkout -b my-new-feature)
• Commit your changes (git commit -am 'add some feature')
• Push to the branch (git push origin my-new-feature)
• Create an issue describing your work
• Create a new pull request

created by: Benjamin Held, March 2017