Documentation for the NOAA Atlantic Real-Time Ocean Forecast System (RTOFS) models from the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) (NODC Accession 0026419)

This NODC accession contains documentation files that apply to all data collections archived at NODC relating to the NOAA Atlantic Real-Time Ocean Forecast System (RTOFS) models generated by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). Documentation files include the NODC - NCEP Submission Agreement, a file containing the FGDC CSDGM format discovery metadata template file used to construct FGDC CSDGM-formatted metadata files for each model output accession, and a change log file that documents known changes to the NCEP RTOFS model processing software that will be periodically updated as the model changes.

Each NOAA Atlantic RTOFS dataset comprises output fields from the daily operational RTOFS model runs conducted at the NCEP. Each model run produces a series of gridded fields containing results of model computations for ocean temperature, salinity, currents, sea-surface height, and possibly other properties. The fields are encoded in the standard GRIdded Binary (GRIB) file format. NODC compiles a series of files into monthly accessions to facilitate archival storage and public access.