NWP model profile data

As NWP models develop and improve, the NWP SAF periodically produces datasets containing sample profiles of atmospheric variables extracted from the models. The sample profiles are chosen to encapsulate normal conditions, typical variability and the extremes of the model’s behaviour in a very compact form. The datasets are intended for use by researchers who require collections of representative model atmospheres for statistical training or testing of applications (e.g. radiative transfer models).

The datasets made available here have been created using the ECMWF IFS, CAMS, or MACC models. More details on the sampling strategy and on usage are available in the documentation for each particular dataset.

As NWP models develop and improve, the NWP SAF periodically produces a dataset of vertical profiles of atmospheric variables which aim to represent the full spectrum of meteorological situations that can occur in the (model) atmosphere.

The latest 2025 137L CAMS dataset is available as a tarball of netCDF4 files. All other datasets are in .tar.bz2 format. These can be extracted using:

tar -xf filename

Definitions of model levels: 137L, 91L, 60L.

137L profile datasets:

• New in June 2025: Diverse 137L profile dataset from ECMWF CAMS model: 137L model fields and associated surface variables (948 MB)
• Documentation for 2025 137L CAMS profiles

• Diverse 137L IFS profile dataset from ECMWF: 137L model fields and associated surface variables (59 MB)
• Documentation for 137L IFS profiles
• Notes on correction to the NWP-SAF 137-level IFS profile dataset (dated 23/05/2016)

91L profile datasets:

• Diverse 91L IFS profile dataset from ECMWF: 91L model fields and associated surface variables (49 MB)
• Documentation for 91L IFS profiles
• Diverse 83 profile subset of profile dataset above interpolated onto 101 levels.

60L datasets:

• ECMWF 60L IFS profile datasets from model fields and documentation (15 MB)
• Documentation for 60L IFS profiles
• Diverse 52 profile dataset from ECMWF 60L model profiles and associated surface variables

• ECMWF 60L MACC profile datasets from model fields and documentation (122 MB)
• Documentation for 60L MACC profiles

• ECMWF 60L CAMS reactive gas profile datasets and documentation (73 MB)
• Documentation for 60L CAMS profiles