ARR 2016 Ensembles Processing

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This page summarizes recommended approach for processing a large amount of ARR 2016 ensembles.

Introduction

The ARR 2016 guidelines implemented ten temporal patterns which are to be applied for each annual exceedance probability (AEP) and each storm duration. This multiplies the number of simulations by ten and requires additional processing in comparison with ARR 1987. The results files can get very large, the creation of the processing tools can lead to tedious work and the computerised processing can be time intensive.

Choice of Output

As the model results might get large in size the preferred method to process the ensembles is to use FLT grid output format to export the maximums of required values (water level, depth, velocity, hazard, ...) directly from TUFLOW simulation. FLT files are ESRI binary (float) version of the ASC files and their size is about 1/5 of an ASC file. Binary files can also be processed faster by TUFLOW utilities.
Commands in the TCF:

Map Output Format == FLT

Map Output Date Types == h, d, V

FLT Map Output Interval == 0

If using only time-series outputs (xmdf, dat) an extra step will be required to export maximum grids (FLT or ASC) with TUFLOW_to_GIS utility.

Median

Use ASC_to_ASC utility (-statMedian switch) to create median of required values (water level, depth, velocity, hazard, ...) for each storm duration and each AEP.

Maximums

Use ASC_to_ASC utility (-max switch) to create maximum envelope of the median results for each AEP.

Processing Batch File Tips

• Batch file is recommended to be located in the same folder as the result files. This will enable the use of relative path for the input and output files to make the command shorter.
  

Example:

"C:\TUFLOW\Utilities\asc_to_asc_w64.exe" -b -out Max_grid.flt -max Grid_1.flt Grid_2.flt

Instead:

"C:\TUFLOW\Utilities\asc_to_asc_w64.exe" -b -out "C:\Projects\Project_1024\Processing\Max_grid.flt" -max "C:\Projects\Project_1024\Processing\Grid_1.flt" "C:\Projects\Project_1024\Processing\Grid_2.flt"

• A wild card (*) can be used to avoid typing all the file names. Instead ASC_to_ASC utility will automatically read all the files with the same start and end of the filename.
  

Example:

"C:\TUFLOW\Utilities\asc_to_asc_w64.exe" -b -out Max_grid.flt -max Grid_*.flt

Instead:

"C:\TUFLOW\Utilities\asc_to_asc_w64.exe" -b -out Max_grid.flt -max Grid_1.flt Grid_2.flt Grid_3.flt Grid_4.flt Grid_5.flt Grid_6.flt Grid_7.flt Grid_8.flt Grid_9.flt Grid_10.flt

• Looping through variables in a batch file can also be used to make the processing more efficient. Example of such batch file is below:
  

@echo off

:: This sets the variables as local, so you can use another batch file with A and B variables
SetLocal

:: set path to ASC_to_ASC Utility
set ASC_to_ASC="C:\TUFLOW\Utilities\asc_to_asc_w64.exe"

:: set up variables
set A=060m 120m 180m
set B=tp01 tp02 tp03 tp04 tp05 tp06 tp07 tp08 tp09 tp10

:: Loop Through
FOR %%a in (%A%) do (
    FOR %%b in (%B%) DO (
		%ASC_to_ASC% -b -statMedian ARR_%%a_%%b_001.flt
    )
)
pause