The present web pages try to justify the choices made for the description of the variables to be included in the data sets, the names, units and sign conventions proposed as well as the numerical format chosen for the files. To help the users to implement the data exchange format we furthermore provide a Frequently Asked Questions section and a list of examples of code which deals with the data exchange format.
This data exchange convention should not change the working habits of the groups participating in inter-comparisons. It should only provide a stable data exchange protocol around which working methods can be developed. It is thus important that these Web pages also serve as a forum for the exchange of expertise and software for the manipulation of data used to force and generated by land-surface schemes. This should be particularly useful for the groups who manage inter-comparison projects.
With each new land-surface scheme inter-comparison we learn how to exchange data in a more efficient way. In order to integrate this knowledge, the ALMA convention needs to evolve. We hope that the increments from one version to the other will become smaller and smaller over time and that finally the evolution will converge. In order to give a better overview of the changes, for each increment we will provide a log of the changes.
| Version 3 | |
(For use in PILPS-C1) |
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Change log | |
| Version 2 | |
(Used in Rhône-agg and GSWP-1.5) |
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Change log | |
| Version 1 | |
(Used in PILPS-2e) |