Skip to content

Input Files

The Canopy-App model requires several input files to run successfully. This section describes the format and content of each required input file.

Namelist Configuration File

The primary configuration file is namelist.canopy, which contains all model parameters and settings.

File Format

The namelist file uses Fortran namelist format with the following structure:

&CANOPY_OPTIONS
 file_vars = 'input/gfs.t12z.20220630.sfcf023.canopy.nc'
 infmt_opt = 1
 nlat = 1
 nlon = 1
 ntime = 1
 time_start = '2022-07-01-11:00:00.0000'

/

Key Parameters

Parameter Description Units Default
infmt_opt Input format option (0=netCDF, 1=text) - 1
nlat Number of latitude points - 1
nlon Number of longitude points - 1
ntime Number of time steps - 1
time_start Start time (YYYY-MM-DD_HH:MM:SS) - -

Meteorological Input Files

NetCDF Format

When using infmt_opt = 0, the model expects netCDF files containing meteorological variables:

  • File naming: gfs.tXXz.YYYYMMDD.sfcfXXX.canopy.nc
  • Example required variables:
  • tmp2m: 2-meter temperature (K)
  • spfh2m: 2-meter specific humidity (kg/kg)
  • pressfc: Surface pressure (Pa)
  • fricv: Friction velocity (m/s)
  • ugrd10m: U-component of 10-meter wind speed (m/s)
  • vgrd10m: V-component of 10-meter wind speed (m/s)
  • dswrf: Instantaneous downward shortwave radiation at surface (W/m²)

Text Format

When using infmt_opt = 1, the model reads text files with the following format:

# Time: 2022-06-30_12:00:00
# Lat: 40.0, Lon: -80.0
lat      lon      ch          ugrd10m  vgrd10m
34.0   272.1   20.9      -0.75          0.33

Vegetation Parameters

Vegetation Parameters are assumed to come through input or configuration at the moment

Troubleshooting Input Files

Common issues and solutions:

  • Missing variables: Ensure all required variables are present in netCDF files
  • Incorrect dimensions: Check that spatial and temporal dimensions match namelist settings
  • Invalid values: Look for NaN, infinity, or out-of-range values
  • Time format errors: Use exact format YYYY-MM-DD_HH:MM:SS

For more troubleshooting help, see the Troubleshooting Guide.