What is in MARS? - Data types and format

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Data types

FORECAST DATA

Operational data - data up to 2 days ago

ANALYSIS DATA

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RE-ANALYSIS DATA

ERA-15

- reanalyses from 12/1978 to 02/1994

- spectral T106 resolution with 31 vertical hybrid levels

ERA-40

- reanalyses from mid-1957 to 2001

- T159 spectral resolution with 60 vertical levels

ERA-interim

- reanalyses from 01/1979 up to 3 months ago

- T255 spectral resolution with 60 vertical levels

- corrected for different models so should be consistent

- useful for long term analyses

The Re-analysis data are publicly available via http://data-portal.ecmwf.int

One does not need to be an authorized user but only register.

The public ERA-40 data are not the high-resolution data, and the public ERA-Interim data are not including all fields.

OBSERVATIONS

The MARS archive also includes observation data.

DATA FORMAT

The forecast/analysis/re-analysis data are in GRidded BInary (GRIB) format. Two different versions are used:

 - GRIB1

 - GRIB2 was implemented on 18 May 2011.

Information on the GRIB2 migration can be found here http://www.ecmwf.int/products/changes/grib2_migration/index.html

The observations are in BUFR format.