GRIB2 Meta Data and grib_api Keys for Product Definition Template 4.0

Last updated: January 2013

The following table lists the GRIB2 meta data and associated grib_api keys for the Product Definition Section of GRIB2 messages with Product Definition Template 4.0. This template is applicable to most of the COSMO-Model products.


Octets Key Name Comments
1-4 section4Length Length of section in octets (nn)
5 numberOfSection Number of section (4)
6-7 NV Number of coordinate values after Template. Coordinates values are intended to document the vertical discretisation associated with model data on hybrid coordinate vertical levels. A number of zero in octets 6-7 indicates that no such values are present. Otherwise the number corresponds to the whole set of values.
8-9 productDefinitionTemplateNumber 0
10 parameterCategory Parameter category according to Code Table 4.1 for Discipline 0:
0Temperature
1Moisture
2Momentum
3Mass
4Short-wave radiation
5Long-wave radiation
6Cloud
20Atmospheric chemical constituents
11 parameterNumber Parameter number according to Code Table 4.2:
For every discipline and category there is a group of parameter numbers. Please see the official WMO Tables or the ECMWF Manual Pages for these numbers.
12 typeOfGeneratingProcess Type of generating process according to Code Table 4.3:
0Analysis
1Initialization
2Forecast
4Ensemble forecast
13 backgroundProcess Background generating process identifier (defined by originating centre)
14 generatingProcessIdentifier Analysis or forecast generating processes identifier (defined by originating centre)
15-16 hoursAfterDataCutoff Hours of observational data cutoff after reference time
17 minutesAfterDataCutoff Minutes of observational data cutoff after reference time
18 indicatorOfUnitOfTimeRange Indicator of unit of time range according to Code Table 4.4:
0Minute
1Hour
2Day
3Month
4Year
5Decade (10 years)
6Normal (30 years)
7Century (100 years)
8-9Reserved
103 hours
116 hours
1212 hours
13Second
14-191Reserved
192-254Reserved for local use
255Missing
19-22 forecastTime Forecast time in units defined by octet 18
23 typeOfFirstFixedSurface Type of first fixed surface according to Code Table 4.5:
0Reserved
1Ground or water surface
2Cloud base level
3Level of cloud tops
4Level of 0°C isotherm
5Level of adiabatic condensation lifted from the surface
6Maximum wind level
7Tropopause
8Nominal top of the atmosphere
9Sea bottom
10Entire atmosphere
11Cumulonimbus (CB) base m
12Cumulonimbus (CB) top m
13-19Reserved
20Isothermal level K
21-99Reserved
100Isobaric surface Pa
101Mean sea level
102Specific altitude above mean sea level m
103Specified height level above ground m
104Sigma level "sigma" value
105Hybrid level
106Depth below land surface m
107Isentropic (theta) level K
108Level at specified pressure difference from ground to level Pa
109Potential vorticity surface K m2 kg-1 s-1
110Reserved
111Eta level
112-116Reserved
117Mixed layer depth m
118Hybrid height level
119Hybrid pressure level
120-149Reserved
150Generalized vertical coordinate (under validation)
151-159Reserved
160Depth below sea level m
161-191Reserved
192-254Reserved for local use
255Missing
24 scaleFactorOfFirstFixedSurface Scale factor of first fixed surface
25-28 scaledValueOfFirstFixedSurface Scaled value of first fixed surface
29 typeOfSecondFixedSurface Type of second fixed surface according to Code Table 4.5 (see above)
30 scaleFactorOfSecondFixedSurface Scale factor of second fixed surface
31-34 scaledValueOfSecondFixedSurface Scaled value of second fixed surface
35-nn pv Optional list of coordinate values. These are encoded in IEEE 32-bit floating point format