The NCEPLIBS-bufr library contains routines and utilites for working with the WMO BUFR format. It is part of the NCEPLIBS project.
For full documentation of the library, see https://noaa-emc.github.io/NCEPLIBS-bufr/.
NCEPLIBS-bufr is used by numerous other projects including:
- gfs-utils from NOAA's global workflow.
- NCAR's Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI).
- obsproc in the NOAA Operational Model Archive and Distribution System (NOMADS).
- prepobs from the The NCEP Production Suite.
- bufr-dump which is run by all of the NOAA model data assimilation systems when it's time to collect data for use in the analyses.
- the Global Ensemble Forecast System(GEFS).
- the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model (HRRR).
- NOAA's Rapid Refresh (RAP) assimilation/modeling system.
To submit bug reports, feature requests, or other code-related issues including installation and usage questions, please create a GitHub issue. For general NCEPLIBS inquiries, contact Edward Hartnett (secondary point of contact Alex Richert).
Jack Woollen, Jeff Ator, Dennis Keyser, Stacey Bender, Diane Stokes, Edward Hartnett, Jeff Whitaker, Rahul Mahajan, Alex Richert, Ron McLaren, and Dom Heinzeller.
Code manager: Jeff Ator
Download tarball from
Releases and
unpack, or git clone https://github.com/NOAA-EMC/NCEPLIBS-bufr.
cmake -S NCEPLIBS-bufr -B NCEPLIBS-bufr/build -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=path1 -DMASTER_TABLE_DIR=path2
cmake --build NCEPLIBS-bufr/build -j4
ctest --test-dir NCEPLIBS-bufr/build
cmake --install NCEPLIBS-bufr/build
Both path1 and path2 may be full or relative pathnames
on the system, up to a maximum of 240 characters each.
Installation of the library and utilities will be under path1.
Installation of the master BUFR tables will be under path2, or
under path1 if -DMASTER_TABLE_DIR=path2 is omitted
from the first of the above cmake commands.
If Python interoperability is desired, then -DENABLE_PYTHON=ON can also
be added to the first of the above cmake commands. However, version 3 of Python
must be installed and available on the system.
When building the library, automated CI testing is included by default.
If this is not desired, then it can be disabled by adding -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF
to the first of the above cmake commands and then omitting the subsequent ctest step.
When building the library, associated utilities are included by default.
If these are not desired, then they can be disabled by adding -DBUILD_UTILS=OFF
to the first of the above cmake commands.
NCEPLIBS-bufr is also available through Spack as 'bufr'.
- WMO, Manual on Codes (WMO No. 306), Volume I.2, Part B - Binary Codes
- Hartnett, E., Ator, J., Lei, H., Richert, A., Woollen, J., King, A., Hartnett, A., NCEPLIBS GRIB and BUFR Libraries: Maintaining and Modernizing NOAA's Libraries for WMO Data Formats, American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2023. (See also poster).
- Ator, J., Testing NCEPLIBS-bufr
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