1.3.8. Observational Sites Datasets

There are two ways to customize datasets for a particular observational site. The first is to customize the input to the tools that create the dataset, and the second is to over-write the default data after you’ve created a given dataset. Depending on the tool it might be easier to do it one way or the other. In Table 3-1 we list the files that are most likely to be customized and the way they might be customized. Of those files, the ones you are most likely to customize are: fatmlndfrc, fsurdat, faerdep (for DATM), and stream_fldfilename_ndep. Note mksurfdata_map as documented previously has options to overwrite the vegetation and soil types. For more information on this also see the Section called Creating your own single-point/regional surface datasets in Chapter 5. And PTCLM uses these methods to customize datasets see Chapter 6.

Another aspect of customizing your input datasets is customizing the input atmospheric forcing datasets. See the Section called Running with your own atmosphere forcing in Chapter 5 for more information on this. Also the chapter on PTCLM in the Section called Converting AmeriFlux Data for use by PTCLM in Chapter 6 has information on using the AmeriFlux tower site data as atmospheric forcing.