The BADC is extracting ECMWF ERA-40 Re-analysis data on a daily basis to keep pace (with a slight delay) with production. The data is currently being copied into two separate archives:
The reason for holding two separate data archives is to meet the requirements of two distinct groups of atmospheric (and other) scientists. The standard BADC archive will serve the data using formats and utilities that the majority of earth scientists can make use of. The Manchester archive, on the other hand, is aimed specifically at users of the modelling resources held on the high-performance computing systems. This data will be mainly used by members of UGAMP (the UK universities Global Atmospheric Modelling Programme). This page gives an overview of the contents and the current status of each archive.
Links are also provided to validation information relating to ERA-40 and a latest news page for ERA-40.
Table 1. Production status for ERA-40 data.
Production Status Information | ||||
Stream | Stream 1 | Stream 2 | Stream 3 | Stream 4 |
Start Year | 1987 | 1957 | 1972 | 1985 |
End Year | 2001 | 1972 | 1985 | 1988 |
Production started | Mid-2001 | Mid-2001 | Mid-2001 | Nov-2002 |
Production due to end (estimate) | Mar-03 | Apr-03 | Apr-03 | Mar-03 |
Average speed [wall time hours/assimilated month] | 150.3 | 101.8 | 105.8 | 104.5 |
Speed of last 30 days [wall time hours] | 89 | 62 | 66 | 80 |
Table 2. Years produced and validated so far for ERA-40.
Full Years Produced (and Validated) So Far | |||||||
Stream 1 | Stream 2 | Stream 3 | Stream 4 | ||||
1987 | P* | 1957 | P | 1972 | P | 1985 | P |
1988 | P | 1958 | P+V** | 1973 | P+V | 1986 | P |
1989 | P | 1959 | P+V | 1974 | P | 1987 | P |
1990 | P | 1960 | P | 1975 | P | 1988 | P |
1991 | P | 1961 | P | 1976 | P | ||
1992 | P | 1962 | P | 1977 | P | ||
1993 | P | 1963 | P | 1978 | P | ||
1994 | P | 1964 | P | 1979 | P | ||
1995 | P | 1965 | P | 1980 | P | ||
1996 | P | 1966 | P | 1981 | P | ||
1997 | P | 1967 | P | 1982 | P | ||
1998 | P | 1968 | P | 1983 | P | ||
1999 | P | 1969 | P | 1984 | P | ||
2000 | P | 1970 | P | 1985 | P | ||
2001 | P | 1971 | P | ||||
1972 | P |
Table 3. ERA-40 data currently in the standard BADC
archive.
Validated ERA-40 data at the BADC | |||||||
Stream 1 | Stream 2 | Stream 3 | Stream 4 | ||||
1987 | All year | 1957 | - | 1972 | All year | 1985 | All year |
1988 | All year | 1958 | All year | 1973 | All year | 1986 | All year |
1989 | All year | 1959 | All year | 1974 | All year | 1987 | All year |
1990 | All year | 1960 | All year | 1975 | All year | 1988 | All yeara |
1991 | All year | 1961 | All year | 1976 | All year | ||
1992 | All year | 1962 | All year | 1977 | All year | ||
1993 | All year | 1963 | All year | 1978 | All year | ||
1994 | All year | 1964 | All yeaa | 1979 | All year | ||
1995 | All year | 1965 | All year | 1980 | All year | ||
1996 | All year | 1966 | All year | 1981 | All year | ||
1997 | All year | 1967 | All year | 1982 | All year | ||
1998 | All year | 1968 | All year | 1983 | All year | ||
1999 | All year | 1969 | All year | 1984 | All year | ||
2000 | All year | 1970 | All year | 1985 | All year | ||
2001 | All year | 1971 | All year | ||||
1972 | All year |
The data in the standard archive is being held in its original GRIB format in T159 Spectral and N80 Reduced Gaussian Gridded resolutions.
The BADC is developing a new system that will allow users to access the ERA-40 dataset in a regular gridded format. This will probably involve the conversion of spectral and reduced Gaussian gridded data when the user calls the files. The main reason for storing all the data in the spectral and reduced Gaussian forms is that these formats are considerably smaller in volume than the equivalent 1° x 1° gridded data. This allows us to hold all the data on disk.
ERA-40 data is held on the following atmospheric level types:
Details about the variables available in the BADC archive are documented on the ERA-40 parameters page. Each individual file holds one parameter at one time-step for the entire globe. A common file-naming convention has been adopted for both ERA-40 archives.
The data can be accessed using an account on Tornado, the BADC's UNIX machine, or via our web-interface.
Queries about the accessing the Manchester dataset and its contents should be directed to Paul Berrisford. Please note that you will need to register as a BADC user for ERA-40 data if you want to gain access to either of the archives.
The ECMWF web pages document
data quality issues
relating to ERA-40. This includes information on a probable
rerun
of the latter part of ERA-40.
You can also visit the links below to access details of validation studies for ERA-40:
Recent information about the ERA-40 data and archive is available on the
a latest news page.