- First Time Users
- Advanced Users
- Utilities
- BRAMS First Time Users Guide
- BRAMS Input Namelist Guide
- CATT First Time Users Guide
- TEB and SPM First Time Users Guide
- REVU Users-Guide
- RamsPost Users Guide
- Microphysics Documentation
- BRAMS Course Class Notes
- FAQ
- BRAMSNET
- GBRAMS
- SEGHIDRO
- CPTEC/INPE
- MASTER IAG/USP
- BRAMS Version 4.0
- BRAMS Version 3.2

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ)

Installation Setup (Configuration) Preprocessing Postprocessing

1. Installation

   Basic Software (MPI, HDF, Compilers, etc)

1. What MPI can be used with Parallel BRAMS (Expert Users download file)?
   BRAMS are validated with MPICH v. 1.1
   (http://www-unix.mcs.anl.gov/mpi/mpich1/), PGI CDK MPI Version and NEC SX Series MPI Version.
2. MPILAM can be used?
   A test version of BRAMS compiled with MPILAN fail. The BRAMS team recommends MPICH.
3. What HDF version can be used with BRAMS?
   BRAMS v.3.2 uses HDF V.4.2 (http://hdf.ncsa.uiuc.edu/release4/obtain.html) and all External Software used by HDF: SZIP, ZLIB and JPEG Library.
4. BRAMS can be used without HDF files?
   Yes, but if the user want to compile the software without linking with HDF library, a series of modifications are needed.
5. RAMS v.6.0 uses massively HDF files, compiled with HDF v.5.0. This version can be used with BRAMS?
   No. BRAMS v.3.2 needs HDF 4.2.
6. What compilers can be used with BRAMS?
   BRAMS source requires C and Fortran-90 compilers. It was tested with: gcc/g95: http://gcc.gnu.org / http://g95.sourceforge.net (Open source software), Intel C / Intel Fortran 90/95: http://www.intel.com (Free for non-commercial use), Portland Group C and Fortran-90: http://www.pgroup.com (license Required) and NEX SX series C and Fortran-90 compiler.
7. Can I use different compilers to different components of the BRAMS installation (MPI, HDF, BRAMS, etc)?
   No. The BRAMS team recommends using the same compiler for all the components.

BRAMS

1. How the user can restart a failed installation?
   Go to the “*/build” directory and type: “make OPT=opt”. This start a standard Linux Makefile process.
2. How to install BRAMS in a vector machine?
   Actually it is possible to run BRAMS in NEC (SX series) vector machine. However the BRAMS version available in official web site does not include compiler options for this system. If necessary, the user can contact the BRAMS team (brams_list@cptec.inpe.br), informing the details of vector machines pretended to be used.

2. Set-up (configuration)
1. How to know if BRAMS reach the final simulation stage?
   The user has to check if the output analysis “AFILOUT=prefix” was generated for the final stage and if the standard output print the message: “elapsed time: xxx”.

 

2. Where the users have to set Input Data information in a BRAMS Forecast?
   The Input files for BRAMS are:
   • Topography files.
   • Sea surface temperature files
   • Vegetation files
   • Soil textural class
   • NDVI files
   • Input microphysics file
   • Global forecast files.
   To generate topography, sea surface temperature, vegetation cover files, soil textural class and NDVI for the desired limited area (RUNTYPE=MAKESFC), the user have to set (path and prefix) the following global input variables:
   a) ITOPTFN
   b) ISSTFN
   c) IVEGTFN
   d) ISOILFN
   e) NDVIFN
   To build initial state of the atmosphere and boundary conditions over the forecast time for the desired limited area (RUNTYPE=MAKEVFILE) the input file are IAPR (set the path and prefix for Global forecast files).
   To run the forecast for the desired limited area and time period (RUNTYPE=INITIAL), starting with no previous condition for some diagnostic variables, the input data files are the output of the last two steps – topography, sea surface temperature, vegetation cover, initial and boundary condition files. The user has to set path and prefix for the following variables:
   a) TOPFILES (Topography delimitated data area)
   b) SFCFILES (Surface delimitated data area)
   c) SSTFPFX (Sea Surface Temperature delimitated data area)
   d) NDVIFPFX (NDVI delimitated data area)
   e) VARFPFX and VARPFX (initial and boundary condition files)
   f) COLTABFN (Microphysics collection tables file name)
   To run the forecast for the desired limited area and time period (RUNTYPE=HISTORY), starting with a previous condition for some diagnostic variables, the input data files are the same above added by the History file from previous simulation:
   a) HFILIN (path and file name of the History file from previous simulation.

 

3. Where the output data are generated?
   The Output files for BRAMS are:
   • Delimited area topography files
   • Delimited area Sea surface temperature files
   • Delimited area Vegetation files
   • Delimited area Soil textural class
   • Delimited area NDVI files
   • History files (for a restart case: RUNTYPE=HISTORY)
   • Analyses Files (normal output data)
   The files generated in a “Make Surface” model, can be set (path and prefix) in the following variables:
   a) TOPFILES (Topography delimitated data area)
   b) SFCFILES (Surface delimitated data area)
   c) SSTFPFX (Sea Surface Temperature delimitated data area)
   d) NDVIFPFX (NDVI delimitated data area)
   When building initial state of the atmosphere and boundary conditions over the forecast time for the desired limited area (RUNTYPE=MAKEVFILE), the output file (path and prefix) are:
   a) VARFPFX and VARPFX
   When running the forecast for the desired limited area and time period (RUNTYPE=INITIAL and/or HISTORY), the output data files are (path and prefix) are:
   a) AFILOUT (analysis files)
   b) HFILOUT (history files)

 

4. How optimize load balancing?
   This is an experimental capability and should generally not be used at this time.

 

5. How to handle numerical instabilities?
   The users have to pay special attention to CFL criteria (Courant, Friedrich, Lax criteria). This can be observed by the value in “sscourn” printed in standard output for each grid. The best values for this criteria is minor than 1 (one). If this value is grater or equal 1 (one) normally requires adjustment to smaller timesteps (DTLONG).

 

3. Pre-processing

1. How can the users obtain Boundary and Initial Condition to use with BRAMS in a limited area?
   First step is to convert files containing the state of the atmosphere over time as forecasted by CPTEC/INPE or other Institute into a file format that BRAMS understands. The program “Grib2DP” (distributed with First Time Users download file) can be used for that. CPTEC/INPE global model produces daily forecasts for the next 15 days. The currently running model in production uses the T126L28 configuration (102 km horizontal resolution at the Equator, 28 vertical levels). CPTEC/INPE performs a specific post-processing of the global model output for the BRAMS community. Further information and data download check:

http://brams.cptec.inpe.br/f_time_document_online_07.shtml#Changing_initial_date

4. Post-processing

1. What programs can be used to post-processing BRAMS output data, generating files to be visualized?
   The user can uses RAMSPOST (USP local implementation: http://brams.cptec.inpe.br/f_time_document_online_04.shtml#Post_processing, distributed with First Time Users download file) or REVU v.2.5 (http://bridge.atmet.org/users/software.php). Configuration for these softwares can be encountered at:

http://brams.cptec.inpe.br/f_time_document_online_07_a.shtml

2. What program can be used to visualize Post-processed BRAMS files?
   Several available formats can be used (e.g. Vis5D, GrADS, GRIB). The BRAMS team recommends to generate GrADS format, ad visualize with GrADS (http://grads.iges.org/grads/grads.html).