Description of namelist variables

(Updated for WRF 2.1)

--------------------------------Note: variables followed by (max_dom) indicate that this variable needs to
be defined for the nests when max_dom > 1.
&time_control
run_days
run_hours

= 1,
= 0,

; run time in days

; run time in hours
Note: if it is more than 1 day

, one may use both run_days and run_hours

or just run_hours. e.g. if the
total run length is 36 hrs, you may
set run_days = 1, and run_hour
s = 12, or run_days = 0, and run_hours = 36
run_minutes
= 0,
run_seconds
= 0,
start_year (max_dom)
= 2001,
me
start_month (max_dom)
= 06,
me
start_day (max_dom)
= 11,
start_hour (max_dom)
= 12,
e
start_minute (max_dom)
= 00,
ime
start_second (max_dom)
= 00,
ime

; run time in minutes

; run time in seconds
; four digit year of starting ti
; two digit month of starting ti
; two digit day of starting time
; two digit hour of starting tim
; two digit minute of starting t
; two digit second of starting t
Note: the start time is used t

o name the first wrfout file.

It also controls the start tim
e for nest domains, and the time to restart
end_year (max_dom)
= 2001,
end_month (max_dom)
= 06,
end_day (max_dom)
= 12,
end_hour (max_dom)
= 12,
end_minute (max_dom)
= 00,
e
end_second (max_dom)
= 00,
e

;
;
;
;
;

four digit year of ending time

two digit month of ending time
two digit day of ending time
two digit hour of ending time
two digit minute of ending tim

; two digit second of ending tim

It also controls when the nest

domain integrations end

All start and end times are us
ed by real.exe.
Note that one may use either r
un_days/run_hours etc. or
end_year/month/day/hour etc. t
o control the length of
model integration. But run_day
s/run_hours
takes precedence over the end
times.
Program real.exe uses start an
d end times only.
interval_seconds
= 10800,
g real data, which will be the interval

; time interval between incomin

between the lateral boundary c

ondition file (real only)

input_from_file (max_dom)
= T,
nput files for domains other than 1
fine_input_stream (max_dom)
= 0,
t for its initialization

; whether nested run will have i

; field selection from nest inpu
0: all fields are used; 1: onl

y static, and time-varying, masked

history_interval (max_dom)
in minutes

surface fields are used

; history output file interval

= 60,

Alternative way to specify output intervals (integers only):

history_interval_mo (max_dom)
= 1,
; history output
n months
history_interval_d (max_dom)
= 1,
; history output
n days
history_interval_h (max_dom)
= 1,
; history output
n hours
history_interval_m (max_dom)
= 1,
; history output
n minutes (equivalent to history_interval)
history_interval_s (max_dom)
= 1,
; history output
n seconds

file interval i
file interval i
file interval i
file interval i
file interval i

frames_per_outfile (max_dom)
t file, used to split output files

= 1,

; output times per history outpu

restart
run
restart_interval
terval in minutes
io_form_history
io_form_restart

= F,

into smaller pieces

; whether this run is a restart
= 1440,

= 2,
= 2,
(= 102,
MPI runs to be written one per processor.

; restart output file in

; 2 = netCDF
; 2 = netCDF
; this causes restart files for
; May be used when restart file

is larger than 2 Gb.

; Must restart with the same num
ber of processors)
io_form_input
io_form_boundary

debug_level
reasing prints

=
=
=
=
=

2,
2,
4,
5,
1,

= 0,

;
;
;
;
;

2 = netCDF
netCDF format
PHDF5 format
GRIB1
binary

; 50,100,200,300 values give inc

Other output options:

auxhist2_outname
if not specified,

= "rainfall" ; file name for extra output;

auxhist2_d_ will be used
also note that to write variab

les in output other

than the history file requires
Registry.EM file change
auxhist2_interval
io_form_auxhist2
Additional ones when running 3DVAR:

= 10,
= 2,

; interval in minutes
; output in netCDF

write_input
output
inputout_interval
ng input-formatted data
input_outname
utput file name
inputout_begin_y
inputout_begin_mo
inputout_begin_d
inputout_begin_h
inputout_begin_s
inputout_end_y
inputout_end_mo
inputout_end_d
inputout_end_h
inputout_end_s
-formatted data are output

= t,

; write input-formatted data as

= 180,

; interval in minutes when writi

= wrf_3dvar_input_d_ ; you may change the o

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

0
0
0
3
0
0
0
0
12
0

; the above shows that the input

starting from hour 3 to hour 1

2 in 180 min interval.

&domains
time_step
nteger seconds
time_step_fract_num
step
time_step_fract_den
e step

= 60,

; time step for integration in i

= 0,

; numerator for fractional time

= 1,

; denominator for fractional tim

Example, if you want to use 60

.3 sec as your time step,

set time_step = 60, time_step_
fract_num = 3, and
max_dom
> 1 if it is a nested run
s_we (max_dom)
irection (leave as is)
e_we (max_dom)
ection
s_sn (max_dom)
direction (leave as is)
e_sn (max_dom)
irection
s_vert (max_dom)
rection (leave as is)
e_vert (max_dom)
ction

= 1,

time_step_fract_den = 10
; number of domains - set it to

= 1,

; start index in x (west-east) d

= 91,

; end index in x (west-east) dir

= 1,

; start index in y (south-north)

= 82,

; end index in y (south-north) d

= 1,

; start index in z (vertical) di

= 28,

; end index in z (vertical) dire

vertical dimensions need to be

the same for all nests

dx (max_dom)
it in meters
dy (max_dom)
it in meters
ztop (max_dom)
ed cases
grid_id (max_dom)
parent_id (max_dom)
i_parent_start (max_dom)
e parent domain
j_parent_start (max_dom)

= 10000,

; grid length in x direction, un

= 10000,

; grid length in y direction, un

= 19000.

; used in mass model for idealiz

= 1,
= 0,
= 0,

; domain identifier
; id of the parent domain
; starting LLC I-indices from th

= 0,

; starting LLC J-indices from th

e parent domain
parent_grid_ratio (max_dom)
e ratio: for real-data cases

= 1,

; parent-to-nest domain grid siz

the ratio has to be odd; for i

dealized cases,
the ratio can be even if feedb
ack is set to 0.
parent_time_step_ratio (max_dom)
; it can be different
feedback
nt domain; 0 = no feedback
smooth_option
main, used only with feedback

= 1,

; parent-to-nest time step ratio

= 1,

from the parent_grid_ratio

; feedback from nest to its pare

= 0

; smoothing option for parent do

option on. 0: no smoothing; 1:

1-2-1 smoothing; 2: smoothing-desmoothing

Namelist variables for controling the prototype moving nest:
Note moving nest needs to be activated at the compile time by
adding -DMOVE_NEST
to the ARCHFLAGS. The maximum number of moves, max_moves, is
set to 50
but can be modified in source code file frame/module_driver_c
onstants.F.
num_moves
= 4
; total number of moves
move_id
= 2,2,2,2, ; a list of nest domain id's, on
e per move
move_interval
= 60,120,150,180, ; time in minutes since
the start of this domain
move_cd_x
= 1,1,0,-1,; the number of parent domain gr
id cells to move in i direction
move_cd_y
= 1,0,-1,1,; the number of parent domain gr
id cells to move in j direction
positive is to move in increas
ing i and j direction, and
negative is to move in decreas
ing i and j direction.
0 means no move. The limitatio
n now is to move only 1 grid cell
at each move.
&physics
Note: even the physics options can be different in different nest domains,
caution must be used as what options are sensible to use
chem_opt
ilable
mp_physics (max_dom)

= 0,

; chemistry option - not yet ava

microphysics option
= 0, no microphysics
= 1, Kessler scheme
= 2, Lin et al. scheme
= 3, WSM 3-class simple ice scheme
= 4, WSM 5-class scheme
= 5, Ferrier (new Eta) microphysics
= 6, WSM 6-class graupel scheme
= 8, Thompson 7-class scheme (also predict

ice number concentraion)

= 98, NCEP 3-class simple ice scheme (to be
removed)

= 99, NCEP 5-class scheme (to be removed)

For non-zero mp_physics options, to keep Qv .GE. 0, and to set the other moistu
re
fields .LT. a critcal value to zero
mp_zero_out
to any moist field

= 0,

; no action taken, no adjustment

= 1,

; except for Qv, all other moist

arrays are set to zero

; if they fall below a critical v
alue
= 2,

; Qv is .GE. 0, all other moist a

rrays are set to zero

; if they fall below a critical v
alue
mp_zero_out_thresh
threshold, below which

= 1.e-8

; critical value for moist array

; moist arrays (except for Qv) ar

e set to zero (kg/kg)

ra_lw_physics (max_dom)

longwave radiation option

= 0, no longwave radiation
= 1, rrtm scheme
= 99, GFDL (Eta) longwave (semi-supported)

ra_sw_physics (max_dom)

shortwave radiation option

= 0, no shortwave radiation
= 1, Dudhia scheme
= 2, Goddard short wave
= 99, GFDL (Eta) longwave (semi-supported)

radt (max_dom)
ics calls

= 30,

; minutes between radiation phys

reduce it if grid distance is

finer
sf_sfclay_physics (max_dom)
option)

surface-layer option (old bl_sfclay_physics

= 0, no surface-layer
= 1, Monin-Obukhov scheme
= 2, Monin-Obukhov (Janjic Eta) scheme

sf_surface_physics (max_dom)
option)

land-surface option (old bl_surface_physics

=
=
=
=

0,
1,
2,
3,

no surface temp prediction

thermal diffusion scheme
Noah land-surface model
RUC land-surface model

bl_pbl_physics (max_dom)

boundary-layer option
= 0, no boundary-layer
= 1, YSU scheme
= 2, Mellor-Yamada-Janjic (Eta) TKE scheme
= 99, MRF scheme (to be removed)

bldt (max_dom)
physics calls

= 0,

cu_physics (max_dom)

cumulus option

; minutes between boundary-layer

=
=
=
=
=

0, no cumulus
1, Kain-Fritsch (new Eta) scheme
2, Betts-Miller-Janjic scheme
3, Grell-Devenyi ensemble scheme
99, previous Kain-Fritsch scheme

cudt
s calls

= 0,

; minutes between cumulus physic

isfflx
the surface

= 1,

; heat and moisture fluxes from

(only works for sf_sfclay_phys

ics = 1)
1 = with fluxes from the surfa
ce
ifsnow

= 0,

0 = no flux from the surface

; snow-cover effects
(only works for sf_surface_phy

sics = 1)
icloud
pth in radiation

= 1,

1 = with snow-cover effect

0 = without snow-cover effect
; cloud effect to the optical de
(only works for ra_sw_physics

= 1 and ra_lw_physics = 1)
surface_input_source
y data come from:

= 1,

1 = with cloud effect

0 = without cloud effect
; where landuse and soil categor
1 = SI/gridgen
2 = GRIB data from another mod

el (only possible
(VEGCAT/SOILCAT are in wrf
_real_input_em files from SI)
num_soil_layers
surface model

= 5,

; number of soil layers in land

= 5: thermal diffusion scheme
= 4: Noah landsurface model
= 6: RUC landsurface model

maxiens
maxens
maxens2
maxens3
ensdim

=
=
=
=
=

1,
3,
3,
16
144

;
;
;
;
;

Grell-Devenyi only
G-D only
G-D only
G-D only
G-D only
These are recommended numbers.

If you would like to use

any other number, consult the
code, know what you are doing.
seaice_threshold
er point and 5-layer slab

= 271

; tsk < seaice_threshold, if wat

; scheme, set to land point and

permanent ice; if water point

; and Noah scheme, set to land p
oint, permanent ice, set temps
; from 3 m to surface, and set s
mois and sh2o
&dynamics

dyn_opt
= 2,
d research WRF core (Eulerian mass)
rk_ord
= 3,
:
diff_opt

= 0,

; dynamical core option: advance

; time-integration scheme option
2 = Runge-Kutta 2nd order
3 = Runge-Kutta 3rd order
; turbulence and mixing option:
0 = no turbulence or explicit
spatial numerical filters

(km_opt IS IGNORED).
1 = evaluates 2nd order
diffusion term on coordina
te surfaces.
uses kvdif for vertical di
ff unless PBL option
is used. may be used with
km_opt = 1 and 4.
(= 1, recommended for real
-data case when grid distance < 10 km)
2 = evaluates mixing terms in
physical space (stress for
m) (x,y,z).
turbulence parameterizatio
n is chosen
km_opt

= 1,

by specifying km_opt.
; eddy coefficient option
1 = constant (use khdif kvdif)
2 = 1.5 order TKE closure (3D)
3 = Smagorinsky first order cl

osure (3D)
Note: option 2 and 3 are n
ot recommended for DX > 2 km
4 = horizontal Smagorinsky fir
st order closure
(recommended for real-data
case when grid distance < 10 km)
damp_opt
ot use it for real-data case

= 0,

; upper level damping flag (do n

until further notice); als

o set to 0 if mix_full_fields = .true.

0 = without damping
1 = with diffusive damping (da
mpcoef non-dimensional ~0.01-0.1)
2 = with Rayleigh damping (dam
pcoef inverse time scale [1/s] e.g. .003)
w_damping
= 0,
(for operational use)
base_temp
evel temp (K)
base_pres
evel pres (Pa), DO NOT CHANGE
base_lapse
(K), DO NOT CHANGE
zdamp (max_dom)
top
dampcoef (max_dom)
coef <= 0.2, <=0.1 for 3D cases)
khdif (max_dom)

; vertical velocity damping flag

= 290.,

0 = without damping
1 = with
damping
; real-data, em ONLY, base sea-l

= 10^5

; real-data, em ONLY, base sea-l

= 50.,

; real-data, em ONLY, lapse rate

= 5000.,

; damping depth (m) from model

= 0.,

; damping coefficient (damp

= 0,

; horizontal diffusion cons

tant (m^2/s)
kvdif (max_dom)
nt (m^2/s)
smdiv (max_dom)
pical)
emdiv (max_dom)
mass coordinate model

= 0,

; vertical diffusion consta

= 0.1,

; divergence damping (0.1 is ty

= 0.01,

; external-mode filter coef for

(0.01 is typical for real-data

cases)
epssm (max_dom)
rtical sound waves
non_hydrostatic (max_dom)
hydrostatic or non-hydro mode
pert_coriolis (max_dom)
turbation (idealized)
mix_full_fields(max_dom)
of ".true." is recommended, except

= .1,
= .true.,

; time off-centering for ve

; whether running the model in

= .false., ; Coriolis only acts on wind per

= .true.,
for

; used with diff_opt = 2; value

highly idealized numerical tes

ts; damp_opt must be set to 0 if ".true."

is choosen
h_mom_adv_order (max_dom)
order (5=5th, etc.)
v_mom_adv_order (max_dom)
der
h_sca_adv_order (max_dom)
der
v_sca_adv_order (max_dom)
r
time_step_sound (max_dom)
time-step

= 5,

; horizontal momentum advection

= 3,

; vertical momentum advection or

= 5,

; horizontal scalar advection or

= 3,

; vertical scalar advection orde

= 4 /

; number of sound steps per

(if using a time_step much lar

ger than 6*dx (in km),

increase number of sound steps
)
&bc_control
spec_bdy_width
fied boundary value nudging
spec_zone
zone (spec b.c. option)
relax_zone
zone (spec b.c. option)
specified (max_dom)
(only for domain 1)

= 5,

; total number of rows for speci

= 1,

; number of points in specified

= 4,

; number of points in relaxation

= .false., ; specified boundary conditions

the above 4 are used for real-

data runs
periodic_x (max_dom)
n x direction
symmetric_xs (max_dom)
at x start (west)
symmetric_xe (max_dom)
at x end (east)
open_xs (max_dom)
start (west)
open_xe (max_dom)
end (east)
periodic_y (max_dom)

= .false., ; periodic boundary conditions i

= .false., ; symmetric boundary conditions
= .false., ; symmetric boundary conditions
= .false., ; open boundary conditions at x
= .false., ; open boundary conditions at x
= .false., ; periodic boundary conditions i

n y direction
symmetric_ys (max_dom)
at y start (south)
symmetric_ye (max_dom)
at y end (north)
open_ys (max_dom)
start (south)
open_ye (max_dom)
end (north)
nested (max_dom)
active)
&namelist_quilt
ications.

= .false., ; symmetric boundary conditions

= .false., ; symmetric boundary conditions
= .false., ; open boundary conditions at y
= .false., ; open boundary conditions at y
= .false., ; nested boundary conditions (in

This namelist record controls asynchronized I/O for MPI appl

nio_tasks_per_group
; > 0 quilting I/O
nio_groups
miscelleneous in &domains:
tile_sz_x
ection
tile_sz_y
ection

= 0,

default value is 0: no quilting

= 1,

default 1, don't change

= 0,

; number of points in tile x dir

= 0,

; number of points in tile y dir

can be determined automaticall

y
numtiles
ernative to above two items)
nproc_x
decomposition
nproc_y
decomposition

= 1,

; number of tiles per patch (alt

= -1,

; number of processors in x for

= -1,

; number of processors in y for

-1: code will do automatic dec

omposition
>1: for both: will be used for
decomposition