Using the GUI

In order to be available for a broader audience, a GUI is also provided. However, the GUI is not part of the pypi or conda package yet. You have to download it mannually from the git repo ( direct link ).

There are several way to run the GUI, depending on what you are familiar with.

  • From the terminal: navigate where the GUI.pyw file is, then enter

python3 GUI.pyw

  • Using spyder/ipython

%run GUI.pyw

  • Graphically: simply double click on GUI.pyw. It may work. Maybe.

If it doesn’t start, ensure that you are running python 3 and not python 2.

Initialization

The script looks for files in parameters named localParamBackTraj.json, localParamPSCF.json, locationStation.json. The package gives you the same three file, with a _default.json extension. Copy and rename them in order to have the correct one in parameters:

parameters
├── SETUP_backTraj.CFG
├── localParamBackTraj.json
├── localParamBackTraj_default.json
├── localParamPSCF.json
├── localParamPSCF_default.json
├── locationStation.json
└── locationStation_default.json

Compute the back-trajectories

Hysplit

The back-trajectories have to be computed before running the PSCF script. We use here the HYSPLIT program from the NOAA. As HYSPLIT is a relatively big software with many option and configuration, we developed a tool to compute the back trajectory in a easy way. However, you still need the HYSPLIT program. You can found it at http://ready.arl.noaa.gov/HYSPLIT.php.

GUI description

_images/BackTrajGUI.png

Once the script starts, you should see the window presented in the figure above. Navigate to the Back-trajectory tab on the top if it is not already open. This window presents the different parameters use to compute the back-trajectories. Let’s describe each of its field.

  • Button frame

    • Run Back-traj: Save the parameters show in this tab in parameters/localParamBackTraj.json then compute the back-trajectories with theses parameters.

    • Save BackTraj: Save the parameters in the parameters/localParamBackTraj.json file without running the computation.

    • Exit: Quit the GUI without saving the parameters.

  • Meteo (GDAS) directory: select the path to the GDAS files. GDAS is a file format uses to store meteorological data and are freely available from the NOAA website or ftp.

  • Hysplit directory: select the root path of the Hysplit directory’s installation. It should contain the subdirectories working, exec, script etc.

  • Output directory: select where the back-trajectories files will be save.

  • Station frame

    • Station: select the desired reference point. If the station is not in the list you have to add yourself the station in the parameters/locationStation.json file.

    • Longitude/Latitude: enter the longitude/latitude of the station. It should be updated automatically with the selection of the station.

    • Altitude: enter the altitude (in meter from the surface) of the back-trajectory starting point.