GRIB2 - TABLE 4.5

  FIXED SURFACE TYPES AND UNITS

Section 4, Octets 23 and 29

Revised 03/13/2006
Red text depicts changes made since 05/12/2005



Number Meaning Units
0
Reserved

1
Ground or Water Surface

2
Cloud Base Level

3
Level of Cloud Tops

4
Level of 0o C Isotherm

5
Level of Adiabatic Condensation Lifted from the Surface

6
Maximum Wind Level

7
Tropopause

8
Nominal Top of the Atmosphere

9
Sea Bottom

10-19
Reserved
20
Isothermal Level
K
21-99
Reserved
100
Isobaric Surface
Pa
101
Mean Sea Level

102
Specific Altitude Above Mean Sea Level
m
103
Specified Height Level Above Ground
m
104
Sigma Level

105
Hybrid Level

106
Depth Below Land Surface
m
107
Isentropic (theta) Level
K
108
Level at Specified Pressure Difference from Ground to Level
Pa
109
Potential Vorticity Surface
K m2 kg-1 s-1
110
Reserved
111
Eta Level (see note below)

112-116
Reserved
117
Mixed Layer Depth
m
118-159
Reserved
160
Depth Below Sea Level
m
161-191
Reserved
192-254
Reserved for Local Use

200
Entire atmosphere (considered as a single layer)
201
Entire ocean (considered as a single layer)
204
Highest tropospheric freezing level
206
Grid scale cloud bottom level
207
Grid scale cloud top level
209
Boundary layer cloud bottom level
210
Boundary layer cloud top level
211
Boundary layer cloud layer
212
Low cloud bottom level
213
Low cloud top level
214
Low cloud layer
215
Cloud ceiling
222
Middle cloud bottom level
223
Middle cloud top level
224
Middle cloud layer
232
High cloud bottom level
233
High cloud top level
234
High cloud layer
235
Ocean Isotherm Level (1/10 deg C)
236
Layer between two depths below ocean surface

237
Bottom of Ocean Mixed Layer (m)
238
Bottom of Ocean Isothermal Layer (m)
242
Convective cloud bottom level
243
Convective cloud top level
244
Convective cloud layer
245
Lowest level of the wet bulb zero
246
Maximum equivalent potential temperature level
247
Equilibrium level
248
Shallow convective cloud bottom level
249
Shallow convective cloud top level
251
Deep convective cloud bottom level
252
Deep convective cloud top level
253
Lowest bottom level of supercooled liquid water layer
254
Highest top level of supercooled liquid water layer
255 Missing



Notes:

1.  The Eta vertical coordinate system involves normalizing the pressure at some point on a specific level by the mean sea level pressure at that point.


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