Can ESMValTool handle multiple-site local/in-situ observations ?

[senesis]

ESMValTool enforces CMIP/CMOR format for datafiles.

Most CMIP-formated data have at least lat and lon coordinates, but some have a single dimension for the horizontal, which is simply a site number in a predefined sites list; this is the case e.g. for calipso profiles emulators.

Also, some in-situ observations datasets have a similar structure (as e.g. soil humidity profiles measured at a series of observation sites)

Can ESMValTool data load engine handle such datafiles, and forward it to diagnostic scripts ? Is there any working example ?

[zklaus]

Some CMIP6 variables are in this category, namely those that use the S-na spatial dimensions; it might be worth checking out what happens when one of those is loaded.

Apart from that, there has been prior discussion/work in #1119, #1655, and #496. The general thrust of it is to format also in-situ data in the spirit of CMIP following the CF Conventions, most likely particularly CF Convenvtions 1.9, Section 9, "Discrete Sampling Geometries".

I have work planned in this direction for next year as well, so if you are getting into that now, let's talk early next year?

[senesis]

@zklaus thanks for the references !

I have work planned in this direction for next year as well, so if you are getting into that now, let's talk early next year?

I am not getting into that now, I just wanted to know the current status, for informing a french ClimERI WG looking at various tools