AVAILABLE file problems

[psrivastava]

Hello everyone,
I am new to flexpart and having some problem in running model. The error I am getting is

  #### FLEXPART MODEL ERROR! NO WIND FIELDS    #### 
  #### AVAILABLE FOR SELECTED TIME PERIOD.     ####

I am using input data from NCEP FNL since GFS data one was not available for year 2016.
I have tried with two kinds of AVAILABLE files (self generated as mkAVAIL.py didn't work for FNL data) but the error is same. Both the files have been attached for reference.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

[pesei]

I think that your path names are longer than the character string foreseen for them in FLEXPART. If you can verify this, either shorten the paths (for example using a soft link to your wdir) or hack the Fp code.

[psrivastava]

Thanks for the reply.
As suggested in order to verify for pathname issue I did the following:

1. I moved the data folder folder in my working directory (from where I run (./FLEXPART_GFS_GFORTRAN).
2. Then I changed the pathnames in available file as:

20160101 000000 /fnldata/fnl_20160101_00_00.grib2 ON DISC
20160101 060000 /fnldata/fnl_20160101_06_00.grib2 ON DISC
20160101 120000 /fnldata/fnl_20160101_12_00.grib2 ON DISC
20160101 180000 /fnldata/fnl_20160101_18_00.grib2 ON DISC
20160102 000000 /fnldata/fnl_20160102_00_00.grib2 ON DISC

But still the error is same.
Any further suggestions are most welcome.

[pesei]

/fnldata/fnl_20160102_00_00.grib2 points to a directory called fndata directly under root, not in your wdir (starting with /.)

[psrivastava]

So shall I write /.fnldata/fnl_20160101_00_00.grib2 instead of /fnldata/fnl_20160101_00_00.grib2?

[pesei]

Replying to psrivastava:

So shall I write /.fnldata/fnl_20160101_00_00.grib2 instead of /fnldata/fnl_20160101_00_00.grib2?

A path beginning with / is an absolute path, starting from file system root.
What you need is the path relative to your working directory (from which you start FLEXPART). If you enter ls <path> (replace <path> with the path to your input files), you should see the content of this directory.

I think you should secure adequate Linux support if you are not familiar with this operating system. We will help you with FLEXPART issues, but we can't give basic IT support.

[psrivastava]

I really get what you mean that is why I gave the complete path earlier. So if you could provide your answers with adequate example I think it would be more useful.
Also, I cross checked with some text which state that filenames can take up 256 characters so I dont think shortening the path is the right approach.

[pesei]

If you really want this type of support, why don't you send an email through the Fp mailing list (which then I could answer just to you)? We don't need to have such kind of discussion in the ticket system. And please believe me it would be much easier if you just go to a colleague who knows Linux well.

[psrivastava]

I know it is hard to keep patience with new users. But I will appreciate if we can try once more. I mistook your reply to shifting the files to current directory rather than creating a soft link only.
So as directed earlier, I have done this:

1. created a symbolic link to the data files.

ln -s /home/megha/Softwares/FLEXPART82/fnldata/ fnl

2. edited available file to :

20160101 000000 fnl/fnl_20160101_00_00.grib2 ON DISC

But still the problem is same.

Also please verify if filenames files can take 256 characters or not.
I hope this issue is not due to using FNL data with Flexpart.

[pesei]

OK, then let's continue here. Please post the content of your pathnames file.

Also, you may want to use the trac syntax for code which (short pieces, inline, enlcose in backquotes, one ore more lines use the triple curly braces as produced by clicking on the code symbol of the comment editor tools.

[pesei]

Ok, I think I found out what your problem is. Your AVAILABLE looks like this:

DATE     TIME         FILENAME                                            SPECIFICATION
YYMMDD   HHMISS
______   _____      _________________                                  _______________
20160101 000000 /home/megha/Documents/flexpart/fnldata/fnl_20160101_00_00.grib2 ON DISC

while the start of a proper one is for example

DATE     TIME         FILENAME             SPECIFICATIONS    
YYYYMMDD HHMISS    
________ ______      __________________      __________________
20140101 000000      2014/EN14010100         ON DISC

Thus, your filename is not properly aligned. Inspection of readavailable.f reveals that 6 blanks are required between the Time/HHMISS field and the "Filename". Of course, also the pathname given in the pathnames joined with the filename in AVAILABLE have to add up to the complete path. And the filename can be up to 255 chars.

So probably it would be best if you look into mkavail.py and adapt it to your needs.

[psrivastava]

ok so I modified the AVAILABLE file to the following:

ATE     TIME         FILENAME                                            SPECIFICATION
YYMMDD   HHMISS
______   _____      _________________                                     ________
20160101 000000      /home/megha/Softwares/FLEXPART82/fnldata/fnl_20160101_00_00.grib2      ON DISC
20160101 060000      /home/megha/Softwares/FLEXPART82/fnldata/fnl_20160101_06_00.grib2      ON DISC
20160101 120000      /home/megha/Softwares/FLEXPART82/fnldata/fnl_20160101_12_00.grib2      ON DISC
20160101 180000      /home/megha/Softwares/FLEXPART82/fnldata/fnl_20160101_18_00.grib2      ON DISC

and my pathname file looks like this:

/home/megha/Softwares/FLEXPART82/options/
/home/megha/Documents/flexpart/flexoutput/back/

/home/megha/Softwares/FLEXPART82/fnldata/AVAILABLE
============================================

[psrivastava]

Its actually DATE in the first line. This was just a copy paste error.
I have arranged AVAILABLE file according to

read(unitavailab,'(i8,1x,i6,2(6x,a255))',end=99)

in readavailable.f.

But error is same.
Is there any modified version for flexpart to use with FNL? Or its some other error?

[pesei]

You have an empty line in your pathnames! It needs to contain the path for your windfield data!! Don't put the full absolute path into the AVAILABLE!

[psrivastava]

But Stohl et al in his paper for version 8.2 in Appendix A2 clearly states that since version 7.0, FILENAME can take upto characters and thus the path to a file can be directly placed in the AVAILABLE file. Also it states that if this feature is used then line3 in the pathnames file should be left empty.

[pesei]

OK then maybe it is another problem but please find that out yourself. This kind of debugging from the distance is really cumbersome and I do not have the time for it. Put suitable print statements in the code and you will see what happens.

[psrivastava]

Also according to your suggestion, I have changed pathnames and AVAIALABLE file to

/home/megha/Softwares/FLEXPART82/options/
/home/megha/Documents/flexpart/flexoutput/back/
/home/megha/Softwares/FLEXPART82/fnldata/
/home/megha/Softwares/FLEXPART82/fnldata/AVAILABLE
============================================

and

20160101 000000      fnl_20160101_00_00.grib2      ON DISC
20160101 060000      fnl_20160101_06_00.grib2      ON DISC
20160101 120000      fnl_20160101_12_00.grib2      ON DISC
20160101 180000      fnl_20160101_18_00.grib2      ON DISC
20160102 000000      fnl_20160102_00_00.grib2      ON DISC
20160102 060000      fnl_20160102_06_00.grib2      ON DISC

But the error persists

[psrivastava]

I realize it is a cumbersome process but it still is of utmost importance for me to work. If you can refer it to someone else or spare some time yourself. It would be really helpful.
I have been searching internet for quite a while since this problem occurred. This was something I found interesting:
​https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiXtPiB8Z3YAhUmSY8KHUyIAWMQFggmMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Ffolk.nilu.no%2F~fang%2FFLEXPART9.02_FNL%2FREADME_download_FNL_data_and_run_modified_FLEXPART.docx&usg=AOvVaw0xklonEqMzWpvn2sY6PqOb

as it talks of switching in filename in AVAILABLE file with FNL data i.e:
"Note that when you produce the AVAILABLE file, filenames of FNL data in 20080930 switch from fnl_20080930_06_00 to fnl_20080930_12_00_c."
and hence a modified fnl version of flexpart.
I have tried with his version as well. But the problem is same.
I will be trying the print option in code but meanwhile if you can provide any help or at least a way forward it would be really great.

[pesei]

Is there any outcome?