Skip Navigation Links www.nws.noaa.gov 
NOAA logo - Click to go to the NOAA homepage National Weather Service   NWS logo - Click to go to the NWS homepage
Environmental Modeling Center
 
 
Local forecast by
"City, St" or
Zip Code

 

Marine Modeling and Analysis Branch Logo
Click here to go to the MMAB homepage

Atlantic RTOFS Model Data Downloads

Home Compare with Obs* Data Assim* Monitor* RTOFS & WOCE* Graphics Viewer* Data Access About the Model
* -- MMAB internal use only

NOTICE: As of March 14, 2017, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) discontinued the North Atlantic Basin Real Time Ocean Forecasting System (RTOFS Atlantic). This system has been superseded by the Global Real Time Ocean Forecasting System (RTOFS Global), which became operational October 2011. More information is available here.

Additional documentation on using NOMADS/DODS to obtain Atlantic RTOFS model data is listed below. You may need to install the free Acrobat® Reader to view them.

In addition to the full-field data sets available from the MMAB FTP and NCEP NOMADS (GDS/DODS) servers several additional subregions are available through the NOMADS server. These are surface fields derived from the full-field data interpolated to a regular lat/lon grid.

Atlantic RTOFS GRIB subregions on interpolated grid A map of the surface field subregions interpolated to a regular lat/lon grid.
Click on image to enlarge.

The GRIB file name format is: ofs_atl_t00z.YYMMDD.ffff.grb

  • YYYY = year
  • MM = month
  • DD = day
  • ffff (nowcast/forecast) =
    • N000 (nowcast)
    • F024 (24-hour forecast)
    • F048 (48-hour forecast)
    • F072 (72-hour forecast)
    • F096 (96-hour forecast)
    • F120 (120-hour forecast)

Model Data Description

The full-field data sets on NOADS and the FTPPRD server are in the model's native orthogonal curvilinear coordinates in the horizontal, and are interpolated to 40 pressure levels in the vertical. Here is a list of the interpolated depths.

The following fields are included in the GRIB files:

Daily three-dimensional fields (40 pressure levels)

  • Salinity (psu)
  • In-Situ Temperature (C)
  • Horizontal Velocities (m/sec)1
  • Vertical Velocity (m/sec)
  • Mixed Layer Depth (m)
  • Sea Surface Height (m, relative to geoid)

1Note that the u and v horizontal velocities are in the frame of reference of the model grid, not rotated into lat/lon coordinates. Rotation routines in Fortran and MATLAB are available here.

Hourly surface fields

  • Sea Surface Height (m, relative to geoid)
  • Sea Surface Salinity (psu)
  • Sea Surface Temperature (C)
  • Sea Surface Horizontal Velocities (m/sec)1
  • Mixed Layer Thickness (meters)

1Note that the u and v horizontal velocities are in the frame of reference of the model grid, not rotated into lat/lon coordinates. Rotation routines in Fortran and MATLAB are available here.


EMC/MMAB Information Topics:
All Products, About Us, Contact Us
NOAA/ National Weather Service
National Centers for Environmental Prediction
Environmental Modeling Center
Marine Modeling and Analysis Branch
5830 University Research Court
College Park, MD 20740
About Us
Disclaimer
Credits
Career Opportunities
Glossary
Privacy Policy
Comments/Feedback
Page last modified: Wednesday, 14-Nov-2018 19:55:47 UTC