3DVAR: The basics

Step 1: Download the source code

The first step in the installation process is an obvious one: before all else, you must download the WRFDA source code. The WRFDA source code can be found at the download page:

http://www.mmm .ucar.edu/wrf/users/wrfda/download/get_source.html

NOTE: Before downloading the code, you will be required to register (this is free). Click on New Users, or Returning Users if you have previously downloaded WRF software (you can download after providing your email address).

After verifying your registration, click the "click here" link to proceed to the download page. On this page will be a list of a number of different WRF products (WRF, WPS, WRFCHEM, and WRFDA); scroll down until you see "WRF-DA Code and Test Data". As of April 2013, the most recent version is V3.5.

Click the link labeled "WRF-DA source code tar file" to download WRFDA. You can download this to any folder, but we recommend you create a directory specifically for WRFDA, to keep things organized.

Before proceeding any further, it is a good idea to check the "Known Problems and Fixes" page to see if the version you have downloaded has any known bugs that should be patched.

To simplify procedures, create an environment variable WRFDA_DIR to point to this directory.

> setenv WRFDA_DIR whatever_directory_you_choose
> cd $WRFDA_DIR

The reason for this is that a lot of the procedures involved in installing and running WRFDA will need to reference different directory trees, so this will ensure that you can type exactly what you see here and not run into any problems.

When typing the "setenv" command, I receive a "not found" or similar error You are using a shell other than csh or tcsh. Please see the "Shells Help Page" for solutions.

Step 2: Unpack the source code

The WRFDA package is made available as a zipped tarball. To unpack it into a regular directory tree, use the gunzip and tar commands:

> gunzip WRFDA_V3.5.tar.gz
> tar -xvf WRFDA_V3.5.tar

The file name will, of course, be different for other WRFDA release versions.

NEXT: Configuring for 3DVAR

Note: This website is currently under construction. If you notice any problems with the website, including but not limited to broken links, formatting errors, or incorrect information, please submit an email to the or wrfhelp@ucar.edu so that we can address the problem. We appreciate your feedback!

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