Output Options

Output meta information

The format for spatial data for output data is netCDF. The cwatm/metaNetcdf.xml includes information on the output netCDF files e.g. description of the parameter, unit ..

In the meta data file information can be added e.g. a description of the variable, unit

Note

It is not necessary to change this file! This is an option to put additional information into output maps

Example of a metaNetcdf.xml file:

<CWATM>
# METADATA for NETCDF OUTPUT DATA

# varname: name of the variable in the CWAT code
# unit: unit of the varibale
# long name# standard name

# Discharge maps 
<metanetcdf varname="discharge" unit="m3/s"  standard_name="Discharge" long_name="Discharge in cubic meter per second"  title="1st Demo CWATM" author="PB" />

# others
<metanetcdf varname="soilmoisture" unit="mm"  standard_name="soil moisture" long_name="Soil moisture"  title ="1st Demo CWATM" author="PB" />

# Initial condition Files
<metanetcdf varname="initcondition"  purpose ="Initial Conditions CWATM" author="PB" />
<metanetcdf varname="SnowCover1" unit="mm"  standard_name="SnowCover1" long_name="Snow cover top layer"  />
<metanetcdf varname="SnowCover2" unit="mm"  standard_name="SnowCover2" long_name="Snow cover middle layer"  />
<metanetcdf varname="SnowCover3" unit="mm"  standard_name="SnowCover3" long_name="Snow cover lower layer"  />
<metanetcdf varname="FrostIndex" unit="degree/days"  standard_name="FrostIndex" long_name="Frost index based on Molnau, Bissel (1983)"  />
</CWATM>

Model Output

An advantage of CWatM is the full flexibility of the output variables.

  • All parameters and variables can be used for output as maps or time series.

  • Even if the model is run at daily timestep, output can be daily, monthly, annual, at the end of a run

  • all variables maps are stored as netcdf and the meta data information can be added

Varity of outputs

Time depending and non depending output maps

Output maps will be produced as spatial maps, stack of spatial maps (over time)
Format: netCDF

The netCDF maps can be read with:

Windows

Linux

Or time series at specified points

Timeseries are procuded as ASCII .csv files, which can be read with every text editor or Excel
If you need the old version .tss with you can read with PCRaster Aquila
you need to put reportOldTss = True in [Option]
The specific point(s) where timeseries are provided are defined in the settings file as Gauges:
Can be several points in the format lon lat lon lat ..
# Station data
# either a map e.g. $(FILE_PATHS:PathRoot)/data/areamaps/area3.map
# or a location coordinates (X,Y) e.g. 5.75 52.25 9.25 49.75 )
# Lobith/Rhine
Gauges = 6.25 51.75 7.75 49.75

# if .tif file for gauges, this is a flag if the file is global or local
# e.g. Gauges = $(FILE_PATHS:PathRoot)/data/areamaps/gaugesRhine.tif
GaugesLocal = True

Or time series as a catchment sum or average

As standard, time series can include values of the specific cell as defined in the settings file as Gauges But time series can also show the area sum or area average of the upstream catchment from the specific cell

for example

[OUTPUT]
# OUTPUT maps and timeseries
# Standard values of a specific cell
OUT_TSS_Daily = discharge
OUT_TSS_AnnualAvg = Precipitation
# Area sum of upstream catchment
OUT_TSS_AreaSum_MonthTot = Precipitation, runoff
# Area sum of upstream catchment
OUT_TSS_AreaAvg_MonthTot = Precipitation

Format of output in the settings file

  • per day [Daily]

  • total month [MonthTot], average month [MonthAvg], end of month [MonthEnd]

  • total year [AnnualTot], average year [AnnualAvg], end of year [AnnualEnd]

  • total sum [TotalTot], total average [TotalAvg]

For each of the following sections output can be defined for different variables:

  • Meteo

  • Snow

  • Soil for different land cover (forest, grassland, irrigated land, paddy irrigated)

  • Water demand

  • Groundwater

  • River routing

  • Lakes and reservoirs

Or output can be defined in the section [output]

An output directory can be defined and for each sort of output the variable(s) can be set:

OUT_ defines that this variable(s) are output
MAP_ or TSS_ defines if it is a spatial map or a time series of point(s)
AreaSum_ or AreaAvg_ after TSS_ defines if the catchment sum of average upstream of the point is calculated
Daily or MonthAvg or .. is specifying the time
The variable is given after the equal sign e.g. * = discharge*
If more than one variable should be used for output, split with ,
E.g. OUT_MAP_Daily = discharge -> daily spatial map of discharge

As example output for precipitation, temperature and discharge is shown here:

# OUTPUT maps and timeseries
OUT_Dir = $(FILE_PATHS:PathOut)
OUT_MAP_Daily =
OUT_MAP_MonthEnd =
OUT_MAP_MonthTot = Precipitation, Tavg
OUT_MAP_MonthAvg =

OUT_TSS_MonthTot = Precipitation, Tavg   # monthly total precipitation and average temperature
OUT_TSS_Daily = discharge                # daily discharge
OUT_TSS_MonthEnd = discharge
OUT_TSS_AnnualEnd = discharge

OUT_TSS_AreaSum_Daily = Precipitation    # daily sum of precipitation for the upstream catchment
OUT_TSS_AreaAvg_MonthAvg = runoff        # monthly average sum of runoff for the upstream catchment

Note

For each variable the meta data information can be defined in Output meta information

Output variables

Output can be every global defined variable in the model Variable are e.g. Precipitation, runoff, baseflow

but also not so common variables as:

  • reservoirStorage (amount of water in the reservoirs in [m3])

  • nonIrrReturnFlowFraction (returnflow from domenstic and industrial water use [m3])

  • actualET[1] (actual evapotranspiration from grassland [m/day])

  • …

Most important output variables - a selection

#Variable name    : Description
discharge         : river discharge
runoff            : runoff
Precipitation     : rainfall + snow
Tavg              : average temperature
ETRef: potential  : evaporation from reference soil
sum_gwRecharge    : total groundwater recharge
totalET           : total actual evapotranspiration
baseflow          : baseflow from groundwater
... (to be continued)

Output variables - a list

A list of variables can be produced by using:
grep -d recurse ‘self.var.’ *.py
Every self.var.variable can be used as output variable
For a description of the variable please take a look at the python module itself.
.
As output variable, use without self.var.

A list of possible output variables are in: rst_variables

Daily, monthly - at the end or average

  • per day

  • total month, average month, end of month

  • total year, average year, end of year

  • total average, total at the end

available prefixes are: ‘daily’, ‘monthtot’,’monthavg’, ‘monthend’,’annualtot’,’annualavg’,’annualend’,’totaltot’,’totalavg’

for example

[OUTPUT]
# OUTPUT maps and timeseries
OUT_Dir = $(FILE_PATHS:PathOut)
OUT_MAP_Daily = discharge, runoff, actualET[1]
OUT_MAP_MonthAvg = Precipitation
OUT_MAP_TotalEnd = lakeStorage
OUT_MAP_TotalAvg = Tavg

OUT_TSS_Daily = discharge
OUT_TSS_MonthTot = runoff
OUT_TSS_AnnualAvg = Precipitation
OUT_TSS_AnnualTot = runoff

Note

For each variable the meta data information can be defined in Output meta information

Note

We are not very precise when to use capital letter for some output variables. But we fear now, if we change the variable name, we will forget it somewhere.