Post-model processing of TGCM results is accomplished at two levels:

Cray batch jobs
Execution of a post-model processor on the NCAR Cray machines. This processor is called tgcmproc, and is usually submitted to one of the NCAR Cray's in batch mode. Graphics and/or data are returned to the home machine. The user must have a login on the SCD Cray machines (see below).

Interactive IDL based processor on workstations
Execution of an IDL post-model processor on a workstation. IDL, "Interactive Data Language", is a product of Research Systems, Inc in Boulder, Co. This processor is called "tgcmidl", and has a GUI (Graphical User Interface). It is suitable for interactively creating customized contour plots and images of TGCM and/or MSIS and HWM93 model data. For TGCM data, the IDL processor reads netcdf files created from the original TGCM model history volumes. A small Cray job (submittable from the IDL processor) creates the netcdf files. (netcdf is "network common data format" is self-describing platform independent file format developed by Unidata in Boulder, Co.) Netcdf files are not necessary for MSIS or HWM93.

Necessary login accounts:

To use tgcmproc, you must have a login on a Cray computer at SCD (the Scientific Computing Division at NCAR)

You do not need an SCD account to use tgcmidl (the IDL processor) to run the MSIS and HWM93 models, but you do need a login on an SCD Cray to make the netcdf files necessary for processing TGCM data via tgcmidl.

For information about SCD computers, including how to obtain logins, please see the SCD User Help page

Output of post-model processors:

The post-model processors can produce the following types of output, at various 1-d and 2-d slices of the model grid:

For more information please contact foster@ucar.edu.