LAND-SURFACE MODELING: the community Noah land surface model (LSM)

Unified Noah LSM

• User's Guide -- Noah version 2.7.1, by Ken Mitchell et. al (PDF file)
• LSM references
• Chen, F., K. Mitchell, J. Schaake, Y. Xue, H. Pan, V. Koren, Y. Duan, M. Ek, and A. Betts, 1996: Modeling of land-surface evaporation by four schemes and comparison with FIFE observations. J. Geophys. Res., 101, 7251-7268.
• Chen, F., Z. Janjic, K. Mitchell, 1997: Impact of atmospheric surface layer parameterization in the new land-surface scheme of the NCEP Mesoscale Eta numerical model. Bound.-Layer Meteor., 185, 391-421.
• Chen, F. and J.Dudhia, 2001: Coupling an Advanced Land Surface-Hydrology Model with the Penn State-NCAR MM5 Modeling System. Part I: Model Implementation and Sensitivity. Mon. Wea. Rev., 129, 569-585.
• Ek, M. B., K. E. Mitchell, Y. Lin, E. Rogers, P. Grummann, V. Koren, G. Gayno, and J. D. Tarpley, 2003: Implementation of Noah land surface model advances in the National Centers for Environmental Prediction operational Mesoscale Eta Model. J. Geophys. Res., 108, 8851, doi:10.1029/2002JD003296.
• Koren, V., J. Schaake, K. Mitchell, Q.-Y. Duan, and F. Chen, 1999: A parameterization of snowpack and frozen ground intended for NCEP weather and climate models. J. Geophys. Res., 104, 19569-19585.

Version 3.4.1

• Noah LSM Version 3.4.1 code -- August 2012
• Source code directory noahlsm-v3.4.1
• Gzipped tar file: noahlsm-v3.4.1.tgz
• Recent Changes: CHANGES
• Offline 1D Noah LSM v3.4.1 driver program (with sample dataset) -- 18 September 2012
• Source code directory: simple_driver-v3.4.1
• Gzipped tar file: simple_driver-v3.4.1.tgz
• Readme: README
• Recent changes: CHANGES
• Offline 2D driver code: High-Resolution Land Data Assimilation System (HRLDAS) v3.4.1 -- 20 September 2012
• Gzipped tar file: hrldas-v3.4.1.tgz
• Draft documentation: HRLDAS Users' Guide (PDF)

Version 3.4

• Noah LSM Version 3.4 code -- April 2012
• Source code directory noahlsm-v3.4
• Gzipped tar file: noahlsm-v3.4.tgz
• Recent Changes: CHANGES
• Offline 1D Noah LSM v3.4 driver program (with sample dataset) -- 17 September 2012
• Source code directory: simple_driver-v3.4
• Gzipped tar file: simple_driver-v3.4.tgz
• Readme: README
• Recent changes: CHANGES
• Offline 2D driver code: High-Resolution Land Data Assimilation System (HRLDAS) v3.4 -- 20 September 2012
• Gzipped tar file: hrldas-v3.4-update1.tgz
• Draft documentation: HRLDAS Users' Guide (PDF)

Version 3.3

• Noah LSM Version 3.3 code -- April 2011
• Source code directory noahlsm-v3.3
• Gzipped tar file: noahlsm-v3.3.tgz
• Recent Changes: CHANGES
• Offline 1D Noah LSM v3.3 driver program (with sample dataset) -- April 2011
• Source code directory: simple_driver-v3.3
• Gzipped tar file: simple_driver-v3.3.tgz
• Readme: README
• Recent changes: CHANGES
• Offline 2D driver code: High-Resolution Land Data Assimilation System (HRLDAS) v3.3 -- April 2011
• Gzipped tar file: hrldas-v3.3.tgz
• Draft documentation: HRLDAS Users' Guide (PDF)

Version 3.2

• Noah LSM Version 3.2 code -- 2010
• Source code directory noahlsm-v3.2
• Gzipped tar file: noahlsm-v3.2.tgz
• Recent Changes: CHANGES
• Offline 1D Noah LSM v3.2 driver program (with sample dataset) -- 2010
• Source code directory: simple_driver-v3.2
• Gzipped tar file: simple_driver-v3.2.tgz
• Readme: README
• Recent changes: CHANGES
• Offline 2D driver code: High-Resolution Land Data Assimilation System (HRLDAS) v3.2 -- 2010
• Gzipped tar file: hrldas-v3.2.tgz
• Draft documentation: HRLDAS Users' Guide (PDF)

Version 3.1

• Noah LSM Version 3.1 code -- 2009
• Source code directory noahlsm-v3.1
• Gzipped tar file: noahlsm-v3.1.tgz
• Recent Changes: CHANGES
• Simple offline 1D Noah LSM v3.1 driver program (with sample dataset) -- 2009
• Source code directory: simple_driver-v3.1
• Gzipped tar file: simple_driver-v3.1.tgz
• Readme: README
• Recent changes: CHANGES
• Offline 2D driver code: High-Resolution Land Data Assimilation System (HRLDAS) v3.1
• Gzipped tar file: hrldas-v3.1.tgz
• Draft documentation: HRLDAS Users' Guide (PDF)

Earlier Versions

• Earlier Noah versions
• Earlier versions of the simple driver
• Earlier versions of HRLDAS

Noah-MP LSM

• For information about the Noah-MP LSM, see Noah-MP.

Background Surface Fields

• USGS 30-second global 24-category vegetation (land-use) data
• read me file
• view graphics
• download data
• program
• Modified IGBP MODIS 20-category vegetation (land-use) data
The data come from Boston University, with some modifications by NCEP. NCEP has added new categories based on some other data sets, and has remapped certain categories to other indices.
• Information from NCEP regarding their recategorization
• Additional information from Boston University
• Download data from NCEP ftp server
• Hybrid STATSGO/FAO (30-second for CONUS /5-minute elsewhere) Soil Texture
• read me file
• view graphics [topsoil] [bottom soil]
• download data [topsoil] [bottom soil]
• program
• 1-degree annual mean 2-meter air temperature (used in the model as bottom boundary layer conditions for soil models)
• read me file
• view graphics
• download data
• program
• NESDIS/NOAA 0.144 degree monthly 5-year climatology green vegetation fraction
• Information: See "Surface Fields" on NCEP CPPA/GAPP web site
• Monthly green vegetation fraction data: ftp from NCEP server
• NESDIS/NOAA 0.15 degree monthly 5-year climatology surface albedo
• Information: See "Surface Fields" on NCEP CPPA/GAPP web site
• Monthly Albedo data: ftp from NCEP server
• Maximum albedo over snow covered area
• Information: See "Surface Fields" on NCEP CPPA/GAPP web site
• More information from NCEP ftp server
• Maximum albedo data: ftp from NCEP server

Vegetation and Soil Parameters

Noah LSM uses three tables: VEGPARM.TBL, SOILPARM.TBL, and GENPARM.TBL. The tables are read in module_sf_noahlsm.F. Copies of the tables and brief descriptions of the parameters are provided here:

General parameters	-- GENPARM.TBL	-- (documentation)
Soil Parameters	-- SOILPARM.TBL	-- (documentation)
Vegetation Parameters	-- VEGPARM.TBL	-- (documentation)

• Soil categories/textures
• Sample Fortran program and subroutine to read the Soil, Vegetation, and General parameters

Urban Parameters

Urban parameters	-- URBPARM.TBL	-- (documentation)

Comparisons of successive code versions: Results from the Simple Driver.

• Comparison between Noah 3.1 and Noah 3.0 for Bondville
• Comparison between Noah 3.2 and Noah 3.1 for Bondville
• Comparison between Noah 3.3 and Noah 3.2 for Bondville
• Comparison between Noah 3.4 and Noah 3.3 for Bondville: bit-for-bit identical results.
• Comparison between Noah 3.4.1 and Noah 3.4 for Bondville: bit-for-bit identical results.

Land-surface related variables

• GRIB documentation for land-surface related variables