How do I deal with the various times and dates needed for standalone MESH input files?

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How do I deal with the various times and dates needed for standalone MESH input files?

Standalone MESH requires that you include various times and dates in the input files. The following is a summary of each of the times and dates needed on a file-by-file basis:

MESH_parameters_CLASS.INI

The fortran code that reads the last 3 lines of this file are:

READ(50,) HOURLY_START_DAY, HOURLY_STOP_DAY, DAILY_START_DAY, DAILY_STOP_DAY

READ(50,) HOURLY_START_YEAR, HOURLY_STOP_YEAR, DAILY_START_YEAR, DAILY_STOP_YEAR

READ(50,'(4I10)') IHOUR,IMIN,IDAY,IYEAR

The first two lines of code are not used in the current version of standalone MESH. They were previously used to determine when to start and stop outputing to the CLASSOF*.csv files. The final line of code is used to set the start hour, minute, day and year of the simulation. These values are used in standalone MESH and are very important to have correct.

MESH_input_run_options.ini

The last two lines in this file determine when the model will start and stop running. If all of the numbers are set to zero, the run will go to the end of the forcing files.

For the first of these lines (Start year, day, hour, minute), you have to choose either all zero or all with the starting time that you want. For the second of these lines, (Stop year, day, hour, minute), you have a few options:

- put all zeros = run to end of forcing file

- put stop year, all other zeros = run to end of the year identified in "stop year"

- put stop year and day, all other zeros = run to end of day and year as identified

- put stop year, day and hour = run to end of the hour, day and year as identified

- put stop year, day, hour minute = run to final minute, hour, day and year as identified

So, for example, if you put zero for the stop year and 273 for the stop day, the code will still run to the end of the forcing file as if you had put all zeros.

MESH_input_streamflow.txt

Here are an example of the first two lines in this file:

1
    41617616176   24 2004  153   00

You need to have the numbers higlighted in red (WF_NO, WF_KT, WF_START_YEAR and WF_START_DAY) correct. The others can be ignored. The spacing needs to be the same, but you can put whatever numbers (or no numbers) in those spots if you want.

Forcing Files
The forcing files need to be set appropriately to local time. Standalone MESH does not distinguish between standard and daylight time, so we suggest that you leave all of your forcing data in local standard time.