Building Surface Topography Files

Here we present a simple tutorial to build a new topography map that can be used in the Generic PCM.

Surface topography maps are netcdf files stored in your /datagcm/surface_data/ repository. Such files contain information on terrain elevations, as well as albedo and thermal inertia.

As a reminder, our database of surface topography files is available here: https://web.lmd.jussieu.fr/~lmdz/planets/LMDZ.GENERIC/datagcm/surface_data/

Getting topography and surface data

A few options to do that:

• use existing topographic data for solar system objects. We have already formatted the data for most solar system objects, so please ask someone in the team if your topography map is not already here: https://web.lmd.jussieu.fr/~lmdz/planets/LMDZ.GENERIC/datagcm/surface_data/
• use your own data files

You can also derive data files by digitalizing color maps. See below an example:

HERE WE ADD AN EXAMPLE

Convert the data into a netcdf surface topography map

We have developed Python and fortran routines to easily convert surface data files (elevation, albedo, thermal inertia) into GCM-compatible surface topography files.

Please find below examples: