Model Output Location Time Series (MOLTS)
Information updated on July 12, 2005, 2:31 pm GMT
General Data Description
The Model Output Location Time Series (MOLTS) data are provided by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). Currently there are over 500 MOLTS stations across the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii) and southern Canada. The locations of the MOLTS stations are based on requests from the scientific community.The measurements provided here are products of NCEP's mesoscale numerical weather prediction (NWP) model known as the Early Eta Model and its associated 4-D data assimilation system, known as the EDAS (for Eta Data Assimilation System). The name "Eta" derives from the model's vertical coordinate known as the "eta" or "step-mountain" coordinate. Whereas the Eta forecast model generates forecast fields out to 36 hours from initial states at 00Z and 12Z, the EDAS generates eight 3-hourly initial states or analyses during each 24-hour period, utilizing a vast set of observed data.
These data are the hourly output at the selected locations that contain values for various surface parameters and "sounding" output at model levels.
There are two possible classes assigned to each station, Class 0 (basic) and Class 1 (enhanced). The classes differ in the number of surface parameters and sounding parameters reported. After November 1999 only Class 1 data are provided but with many more stations than previously.
Expand All
Collapse AllData Stream Names
- moltsedassfcclass0 - Model Output Loc. Time Ser. (MOLTS): EDAS meteor. analy., basic surface, params, stations
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - moltsedassfcclass1 - Model Output Loc. Time Ser. (MOLTS): EDAS meteor. analy., enhanced surface, params, stations
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - moltsedassndclass0 - Model Output Loc. Time Ser. (MOLTS): EDAS meteor. analy., basic soundings, params, stations
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - moltsedassndclass1 - Model Output Loc. Time Ser. (MOLTS): EDAS meteor. analy., enhances soundings, params, stations
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File)
Measurement Description
Temporal Coverage
| Data Stream Name | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|
| nsamoltsedassfcclass0X1.a1 and nsamoltsedassndclass0X1.a1 | 06/01/1997 | 09/27/1999 |
| sgpmoltsedassfcclass0X1.a1 and sgpmoltsedassndclass0X1.a1 | 06/01/1997 | 09/27/1999 |
| nsamoltsedassfcclass1X1.a1 and nsamoltsedassndclass1X1.a1** | 06/01/1997 | present |
| pyemoltsedassfcclass1X1.a1 and pyemoltsedassndclass1X1.a1 | 03/01/2005 | present |
| sgpmoltsedassfcclass1X1.a1 and sgpmoltsedassndclass1X1.a1 ** | 06/01/1997 | present |
Data are available at the ARM Archive approximately 4 days after they are generated.
Area Covered
Data Stream Inputs
*nacmoltsedasclass1X1.00
*nac=North American Continent
Notification Form Link
Related Links
Contacts
- ARM Mentor Alice Cialella
- ARM Software Developer Alice Cialella
Data Source
- Institution National Centers for Environmental Prediction
Processing History
nsamoltsedassfcclass1X1.a1
nsamoltsedassndclass1X1.a1
sgpmoltsedassfcclass1X1.a1
sgpmoltsedassndclass1X1.a1
Data User Notes
D020131.7 SGP/NSA/MOLTS/X1- value incorrect
D001031.1 SGP/NSA/MOLTS- gap in data
D000627.3 NSA/MOLTS- Misnamed units
D000627.2 SGP /MOLTS - Misnamed units
D000531.7 SGP/NSA/MOLTS - Misnamed measurement - short name
D041112.2, D041112.5, D041112.7, D041112.8 and P040012.1 - all document the error in the measurement name time_offsets (changed to time_offset)
Acronyms
| MOLTS | Model Output Location Time Series |
| NAC | North American Continent |
| NCEP | National Centers for Environmental Prediction |
| NSA | North Slope of Alaska |
| NWP | Numerical Weather Prediction |
| PYE | Point Reyes |
| SGP | Southern Great Plains |
Citable References
Yarosh, Ropelewski, Mitchell, 1996. Comparisons of humidity observations and Eta model analyses and forecasts for water balance studies. Journal of Geophysical Research, 101(18):23,289-23,298.
