GRIB2 Meta Data and grib_api Keys for Product Definition Template 4.1

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 4.1. This template is applicable to COSMO-Model products from ensemble forecasts.


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 1
10 parameterCategory Parameter category according to Code Table 4.1
0Temperature
1Moisture
2Momentum
3Mass
4Short-wave radiation
5Long-wave radiation
6Cloud
13Aerosols
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 Forecast generating processes identifier (defined by originating centre)
15-16 hoursAfterDataCutoff Hours after reference time of data cutoff
17 minutesAfterDataCutoff Minutes after reference time of data cutoff
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 typeOfEnsembleForecast Type of ensemble forecast according to Code Table 4.6
0Unperturbed high-resolution control forecast
1Unperturbed low-resolution control forecast
2Negatively perturbed forecast
3Positively perturbed forecast
4Multi-model forecastt
5-191Reserved
192-254Reserved for local use
255Missing
36 perturbationNumber Perturbation number
37 numberOfForecastsInEnsemble Number of forecasts in ensemble
38-nn pv Optional list of coordinate values. These are encoded in IEEE 32-bit floating point format