GSI observations

Data format for GSI

The GSI can analyze many types of observational data, including conventional data, satellite radiance obervations (such as AIRS, IASI, SBUV/2 ozone, GOME ozone, GOES sounder, GOES imager, AVHRR), GPS radio occultation observations (bending angle or refractivity) and radar data. For use with the GSI, conventional observations are saved in the PREPBUFR format (BUFR format with NCEP specified features) and other data are saved in the starndard BUFR format. A list of the default observation file names used in the GSI is provided in the GSI Users' Guide (Version 2-Chapter 3: Running GSI).

Observation data in forms other than PREPBUFR/BUFR must be converted to PREPBUFR/BUFR before they can be used in the GSI.
  • Introduction and examples of how to decode and encode BUFR from NCEP: link
  • BUFR documents also can be found in NCAR DSS: link
  • PREPBUFR documents at NCEP: link
  • Observation data processing at NCEP (by Dennis Keyser): link
  • Data Hubs for PREPBUFR Data

    The follow is a list of data center that has meteorological histroy data in PREPBUFR format :