1.3.5. Modifying surface datasets

fsurdat_modifier is a tool that modifies fsurdat files. It reads a surface dataset (fsurdat file) and outputs a modified copy of the same file. Current applications are limited to the simplest CTSM SP mode, so bgc, fire, urban, vic, lake, transient, and crop-related variables in the fsurdat file remain unchanged.

This tool differs from modify_singlept_site_neon in that the latter specifically modifies soil properties of single-point surface datasets. It also differs from the subset_data tool in that the latter subsets fsurdat files to regional or single-point domains; subset_data does include some "modify" functionality when subsetting, but such functionality is more prescriptive in subset_data. In particular:

fsurdat_modifier options

subset_data options

std_elev (user sets STD_ELEV value)

uniform-snowpack (sets STD_ELEV to 20)

max_sat_area (user sets FMAX value)

cap-saturation (sets FMAX to zero)

1.3.5.1. Files involved

python/ctsm/modify_input_files/fsurdat_modifier.py
python/ctsm/modify_input_files/modify_fsurdat.py
tools/modify_input_files/fsurdat_modifier
tools/modify_input_files/modify_fsurdat_template.cfg

1.3.5.2. Instructions

  1. Activate conda (however you do this on your system and if not already active), run py_env_create (if necessary), and activate ctsm_pylib:

./py_env_create  # once per machine, unless needing to update the ctsm_pylib environment
conda activate ctsm_pylib  # every time you come to this step

(Use "deactivate" to reverse the latter.)

  1. Copy, then modify the configure file named modify_fsurdat_template.cfg, which contains all the arguments needed by the script.

  2. Run the script ./fsurdat_modifier pointing to the copied/modified .cfg file, e.g.

./fsurdat_modifier modify_users_copy.cfg

See modify_fsurdat_template.cfg for required and optional settings.

  1. Use the --verbose option to see progress output on your screen.