Atmosphere-Ocean Model Grid

The Atmosphere-Ocean Model divides the horizontal surface of the Earth into grid cells of 5° in longitude by 4° in latitude. The 72 grid cells in longitude are numbered from west to east with the first cell being between the International Date Line and 175°W. There are 46 grid cells in latitude because the triangular grid cells touching each pole use only 2° in latitude. Grid cells are numbered from south to north in latitude with the first cell being between the South Pole and 88°S.

The Atmosphere-Ocean Model uses the index I to number grid cells in longitude and the index J to number grid cells in latitude. The Model calls west longitude as negative longitude, calls east longitude as positive longitude, calls south latitude as negative latitude, and calls north latitude as positive latitude. Using these conventions, grid cell (I,J) is between I*5-185 and I*5-180 degrees of longitude and between J*4-96 and J*4-92 degrees of latitude. A location at X degrees of longitude and Y degrees of latitude resides in grid cell (37+X/5,24+Y/4) when these values are truncated to integers.

    1       1       1       1           1       1       1       1
    8       7       7       6           6       7       7       8
    0       5       0       5           5       0       5       0
    W       W       W       W           E       E       E       E
90N +-------+-------+-------+  . . . .  +-------+-------+-------+ 90N
    |                       polar circle                        |
88N +-------+-------+-------+  . . . .  +-------+-------+-------+ 88N
    |       |       |       |           |       |       |       |
    |  1,45 |  2,45 |  3,45 |           | 70,45 | 71,45 | 72,45 |
    |       |       |       |           |       |       |       |
84N +-------+-------+-------+  . . . .  +-------+-------+-------+ 84N
    |       |       |       |           |       |       |       |
    |  1,44 |  2,44 |  3,44 |           | 70,44 | 71,44 | 72,44 |
    |       |       |       |           |       |       |       |
80N +-------+-------+-------+  . . . .  +-------+-------+-------+ 80N
    .       .       .       .           .       .       .       .
    .       .       .       .           .       .       .       .
    .       .       .       .           .       .       .       .
    .       .       .       .           .       .       .       .
80S +-------+-------+-------+  . . . .  +-------+-------+-------+ 80S
    |       |       |       |           |       |       |       |
    |  1,3  |  2,3  |  3,3  |           | 70,3  | 71,3  | 72,3  |
    |       |       |       |           |       |       |       |
84S +-------+-------+-------+  . . . .  +-------+-------+-------+ 84S
    |       |       |       |           |       |       |       |
    |  1,2  |  2,2  |  3,2  |           | 70,2  | 71,2  | 72,2  |
    |       |       |       |           |       |       |       |
88S +-------+-------+-------+  . . . .  +-------+-------+-------+ 88S
    |                       polar circle                        |
90S +-------+-------+-------+  . . . .  +-------+-------+-------+ 90S
    1       1       1       1           1       1       1       1
    8       7       7       6           6       7       7       8
    0       5       0       5           5       0       5       0
    W       W       W       W           E       E       E       E
2003/11/05