cmor checker for CORDEX-CMIP6

[larsbuntemeyer]

The Cordex archive specifications need to be updated for CMIP6 downscaling. However, archive specifications are not available yet.

Here are some related issues:

• https://github.com/WCRP-CORDEX/cordex-cmip6-cmor-tables/issues/2
• https://github.com/WCRP-CORDEX/cordex-cmip6-cmor-tables/issues/7
• https://github.com/WCRP-CORDEX/cordex-cmip6-data-request/issues

There are some pitfalls with cmor3 regarding controlled vocabulary and derived attributes etc. My suggestion is to check, e.g., controlled vocabulary before writing it into a document. I could also image a kind of interactive, online archive specifications, e.g., like this.

This discussion is related to

• CORDEX-CMIP6 cmor tables PCMDI/cmor#679

[larsbuntemeyer]

pinging @gnikulin

[larsbuntemeyer]

Here are just some thoughts on the new archive specifications and how to implement them:

• What QA tools do the data centers use? There are 4 (basically 3) that i know of:
  • PrePARE: only useful for CMIP6 data ("_cmip6_option": "CMIP6"), the only tool that requires tables for evaluation. Could that be adapted for more general CVs in making PrePARE work with arbitrary CV PCMDI/cmor#685?
  • QA-DKRZ: deprecated in favor of PrePARE.
  • QA-DKRZ_FPSCONV: forked from QA-DKRZ and adapted for FPS convection.
  • cf-checker: provided by CEDA, does not require tables for checking, checks for CF conventions only.
  • compliance-checker: checks against CF conventions and ACDD standards, no tables required. See also cmip6-cv-plugin.
• How can we ensure, that archive specifications are followed, if we have no tool that checks beyond metadata? E.g., how to check filenaming conventions?

The ultimate goal, of course, is to have really consistent datasets for easy ensemble creation and avoid CF metadata issues or errata cases.

[larsbuntemeyer]

Keep up to date with PCMDI/cmor#730

[larsbuntemeyer]

@gnikulin @jesusff
A cmor checker is now developed as a compliance-checker plugin, work is now ongoing here.