Monthly Data and Descriptor Files

[Robin Kovach <kovach@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

I have monthly averaged data for multiple years and I am currently
using descriptor files so that I can link multiple files together.

So on LAS, the GUI shows selections for 15-Jul-1996, 15-Aug-1996 and
so on. But when the plot comes up the date on the plot for July 15 1996
shows up as July 23, 1996. I realize this is the actual time since I
am computing from 1988 and not taking into accound leap years and 
specific number of days in each month.

But I would like this date on the plot to be exactly the middle of 
each month.

However in using the descriptor files, I need a constant time step. Is
there any way around this? I"ve attached some useful info below.

Thanks!!!

LAS site : http://mohawk.gsfc.nasa.gov/las

Data Set : POSEIDON_PACIFIC_2D

Right now my data files are:
  1996_2d.001  TIME = 3126, 3156.5, 3187, 3217.5, 3248, 3278.5
  1997_2d.001  TIME = 3309, 3339.5, 3370, 3400.5, 3431, 3461.5, 3492, 3522.5, 
3553, 3583.5, 3614, 3644.5 ;
  1998_2d.001  TIME = 3675, 3705.5, 3736, 3766.5, 3797, 3827.5, 3858, 3888.5, 
3919, 3949.5, 3980, 4010.5 ;

where the time parameters are:
  TIME:TIME_origin = "01-JAN-1988 00:00:00" ;
  TIME:units = "days since 1988-01-01 00:00:00" ;
  
The descriptor file is:
 
********************************************************************************
 *                            DESCRIPTOR FILE                                   
*
 *                    to string together multiple files                         
*
 
********************************************************************************
 $FORMAT_RECORD
   D_TYPE               = '  MC',
   D_FORMAT             = '  1A',
 $END
 $BACKGROUND_RECORD
   D_TITLE              = 'POSEIDON PACIFIC 2D',
   D_T0TIME             = '01-JAN-1988 00:00:00',
   D_TIME_UNIT          = 86400
   D_TIME_MODULO        = .false.,
 $END
 $MESSAGE_RECORD
      D_MESSAGE            = ' ',
      D_ALERT_ON_OPEN      = F,
      D_ALERT_ON_OUTPUT    = F,
 $END
**************************************************
 $EXTRA_RECORD
 $END

 $STEPFILE_RECORD
   S_FILENAME           = '/obs/NSIPP/MODEL/POSEIDON/PACIFIC/2D/1996_2d.001',
   S_AUX_SET_NUM        = 0,
   S_START              = 3126.0,
   S_END                = 3278.5,
   S_DELTA              = 30.5,
   S_NUM_OF_FILES       = 1,
   S_REGVARFLAG         = ' ',
 $END 
 $STEPFILE_RECORD
   S_FILENAME           = '/obs/NSIPP/MODEL/POSEIDON/PACIFIC/2D/1997_2d.001',
   S_AUX_SET_NUM        = 0,
   S_START              = 3309.0,
   S_END                = 3644.5,
   S_DELTA              = 30.5,
   S_NUM_OF_FILES       = 1,
   S_REGVARFLAG         = ' ',
 $END 
 $STEPFILE_RECORD
   S_FILENAME           = '/obs/NSIPP/MODEL/POSEIDON/PACIFIC/2D/1998_2d.001',
   S_AUX_SET_NUM        = 0,
   S_START              = 3675.0,
   S_END                = 4010.5,
   S_DELTA              = 30.5,
   S_NUM_OF_FILES       = 1,
   S_REGVARFLAG         = ' ',
 $END 

 
 **************************************************
 $STEPFILE_RECORD
   S_FILENAME           = '**END OF STEPFILES**'
 $END
 **************************************************

POSEIDON_PACIFIC_2D.xml File
<datasets>
 <POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc name="POSEIDON Pacific 2D" 
doc="doc/POSEIDON_Pacific_Model.html">
  <variables>
   <surfaceheight name="Surface Height" units="meters" 
url="file:/obs/NSIPP/MODEL/POSEIDON/PACIFIC/2D/POSEIDON_PACIFIC_2d#surfaceheight
">
    <link match="/lasdata/grids/POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_grid"/>
   </surfaceheight>
   <zonalwindstress name="Zonal Wind Stress" units="m^2/s^2" 
url="file:/obs/NSIPP/MODEL/POSEIDON/PACIFIC/2D/POSEIDON_PACIFIC_2d#zonalwindstre
ss">
    <link match="/lasdata/grids/POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_grid"/>
   </zonalwindstress>  
   <meridionalwindstress name="Meridional Wind Stress" units="m^2/s^2" 
url="file:/obs/NSIPP/MODEL/POSEIDON/PACIFIC/2D/POSEIDON_PACIFIC_2d#meridionalwin
dstress">
    <link match="/lasdata/grids/POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_grid"/>
   </meridionalwindstress>        
   <netsurfaceheatflux name="Net Surface Heat Flux" units="W/m^2" 
url="file:/obs/NSIPP/MODEL/POSEIDON/PACIFIC/2D/POSEIDON_PACIFIC_2d#netsurfacehea
tflux">
    <link match="/lasdata/grids/POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_grid"/>
   </netsurfaceheatflux>        
   <downwardshortwaveflux name="Downward Shortwave Flux" units="W/m^2" 
url="file:/obs/NSIPP/MODEL/POSEIDON/PACIFIC/2D/POSEIDON_PACIFIC_2d#downwardshort
waveflux">
    <link match="/lasdata/grids/POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_grid"/>
   </downwardshortwaveflux>        
   <evapminusprecip name="Evap - Precip" units="10-5 mm/s" 
url="file:/obs/NSIPP/MODEL/POSEIDON/PACIFIC/2D/POSEIDON_PACIFIC_2d#evapminusprec
ip">
    <link match="/lasdata/grids/POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_grid"/>
   </evapminusprecip>                  
  </variables>
 </POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc>
</datasets>
<grids>
 <POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_grid>
  <link match="/lasdata/axes/POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_LON"/>
  <link match="/lasdata/axes/POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_LAT"/>
  <link match="/lasdata/axes/POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_TIME"/>
 </POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_grid>
</grids>
<axes>
 <POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_LON type="x" units="degrees_east">
  <arange start="119.0" step="1" size="173"/>
 </POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_LON>
 <POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_LAT type="y" units="degrees_north">
  <arange start="-45.0" step="1" size="112"/> 
 </POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_LAT>
 <POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_TIME type="t" units="month">
  <arange start="1996-7-15" step="1" size="30"/>
 </POSEIDON_Pacific_2d_nc_TIME>
</axes>