mbotps
Section:  MB-System 5.0  (1)
Updated:  30 August 2025 
Index


 
NAME

mbotps - Predicts tides using the OSU Tidal Prediction Software (OTPS) distribution.

 
VERSION

Version 5.0

 
SYNOPSIS

mbotps 



[ 



--input=datalist {-Idatalist}



--format=format_id {-Fformat_id}



--use-mbprocess {-M}



--skip-existing {-S}



--tide-output=file {-Ooutput}



--tide-position=lon/lat {-Rlon/lat}



--tide-format=format_id {-Atideformat}



--interval=interval {-Dinterval}



--start-time=year/month/day/hour/minute/second {-Byear/month/day/hour/minute/second}



--end-time=year/month/day/hour/minute/second {-Eyear/month/day/hour/minute/second}



--tide-station-file=file {-Ntidestationfile}



--tide-station-position=lon/lat {-Ulon/lat}



--tide-station-format=format_id {-Ctidestationformat}



--otps-model=model_name {-Tmodel}



--otps-path=path {-Ppath}



--help {-H}



--verbose {-V} 



]


 
DESCRIPTION

MBotps is a utility that predicts tides using software and global tidal models available 
from Gary Egbert and Svetlana Erofeeva of Oregon State University (OSU) at:

    https://www.tpxo.net
In order for mbotps to function, users must separately obtain and install the
OSU Tidal Prediction Software (OTPS) and the associated TPXO tidal models. Both software
and models are made available at no cost for academic, research or other noncommercial use, 
but must be licensed for a fee for commercial use. Instructions (current as of 2024) are 
given below for installing the software and a model. 

MBotps can be operated in two modes. First, users may use the -R,
-B, and -E options to specify a location and the beginning and end times of
a tidal model for that location. The -D option sets the time interval of values in
the output tidal model, and the -O option sets the output tidal model filename.

Alternatively, instead of specifying a place and time range, the user may specify
one or more swath data files using the -I option. A tidal model is produced for
each swath file in which tidal values are calculated using the sonar navigation
locations at intervals specified with the -D option, and if the -M option
is specified, the swath file's processing parameter file is modified so that mbprocess
applies the tidal model during processing.

The -Ctidestationformat, -Ntidestationfile, and
-Utidestationlon/tidestationlat commands together allow users to input
observations from a tide station; these observations can be used to calculate
corrections to tidal model values in the vicinity of the tide station.
If tide station data are specified, then MBotps calculates
the difference between the observed and modeled tide at that station for each data
point in the input tide station data. This difference time series is then used as
a correction to the output tide models, whether at a location specified with the
-Rlon/lat option or for swath data specified with the
-Idatalist option.

 
OBTAINING AND INSTALLING OTPS AND TXPO MODELS


The OSU Tidal Prediction Software (OTPS) can be downloaded from 

     https://www.tpxo.net/otps



Three versions of the software are available, the first of which consists of Fortran 90 programs
that work with OTPS binary model files, the second of which is a MATLAB package also working
with the binary model files, and the third of which is Fortran 90 programs that work with
netCDF format model files. These instructions discuss only the first binary file case that 
has been tested with MB-System, and present only one of many possible installation
scenarios (but this case fits MB-System default settings).

On the OTPS web page, use the "Download OTPS" button to download the OTPS software 
distribution in the form of a file named "OTPS.tar.Z". The MB-System default settings 
include locating the OTPS installation in the directory /usr/local/src/ . Move the 
distribution file to this directory:




     mv OTPS.tar.Z /usr/local/src



If the user does not have write privileges in /usr/local/src, then it may be necessary to 
operate in "sudo" mode (which assumes the user is a system administrator):




     sudo mv OTPS.tar.Z /usr/local/src

Move to /usr/local/src and unpack the distribution:




     cd /usr/local/src




     gunzip OTPS.tar.Z




     tar xvf OTPS.tar
or




     uncompress OTPS.tar.Z




     tar xvf OTPS.tar

This will unpack a directory called OTPS. Moving into the directory and listing the
contents:




     cd OTPS

     ls



yields:




        COPYRIGHT                 makefile*




        DATA/                     matlab/




        README                    predict_tide.f90




        constit.h*                predict_tide_sample_out




        dumsetup                  setup.atl




        extract_HC.f90*           setup.inp




        extract_HC_sample_out     setup.local




        extract_local_model.f90   subs.f90




        lat_lon                   time




        lat_lon_time




The component of OTPS that is required for mbotps is the program predict_tide, which
must be compiled from the Fortran 90 source file predict_tide.f90. 

On a Linux computer with the GCC compiler suite installed, the gfortran program 
(a Fortran compiler) is already available, or can be easily installed via apt on Debian
and Ubuntu or via yum on CentOs or Red Hat:




     sudo apt install gfortran



or




     sudo yum install gcc-gfortran

On a Mac, the LLVM compiler suite installed with the XCode development tools
does not include a Fortran compiler, and so it is necessary to install GCC as well.
Assuming that a Mac user is already installing prerequisite packages for MB-System
using the MacPorts package manager, then gfortran can be installed via the
commands:




     sudo port install gcc14 +gfortran

     sudo port select --set gcc mp-gcc14

     sudo ln -s /opt/local/bin/gfortran-mp-14 gfortran



Note that the version of GCC will continue to increment over time, and so may no longer
be GCC 14.
The last command links the installed Fortran compiler to the name "gfortran" (to allow
the use of the OTPS makefile without modification). 

In the OTPS directory, apply the Fortran compiler using the make utility:




     sudo make predict_tide



The program predict_tide now exists in a location known to mbotps.

The OTPS directory described above includes a directory named DATA, which has the following
contents:



               HAW/                            Model_tpxo9.v2




               Model_Hawaii            Model_tpxo9_atlas_v5




               Model_tpxo10.v2         load_file




               Model_tpxo10_atlas




Here the files with names beginning with "Model_" describe different available tidal models,
each of which consists of a directory containing many model files. In order to install
a tidal model, the associated directory and files must be obtained and placed inside
the DATA directory. We recommend use of the TPXO10-atlas-v2 bin model, which combines 
a global model with higher resolution local models for many coastal areas. This is 
described in the Model_tpxo10_atlas file. 

The tidal model must be obtained from OSU via instructions on the web pages:




    https://www.tpxo.net/global




    https://www.tpxo.net/tpxo-products-and-registration



Basically, one must request access to a model via email. If approved, you will receive a 
link to download a directory named TPXO10_atlas_v2 which contains the following files:




        grid_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2     u_2n2_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_2n2_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2    u_k1_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_k1_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2     u_k2_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_k2_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2     u_m2_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_m2_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2     u_m4_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_m4_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2     u_mf_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_mf_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2     u_mm_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_mm_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2     u_mn4_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_mn4_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2    u_ms4_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_ms4_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2    u_n2_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_n2_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2     u_o1_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_o1_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2     u_p1_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_p1_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2     u_q1_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_q1_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2     u_s1_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_s1_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2     u_s2_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




        h_s2_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




Move the directory TPXO10_atlas_v2 to /usr/local/src/OTPS/DATA/ :




    mv TPXO10_atlas_v2 /usr/local/src/OTPS/DATA/



The tidal model should now be installed, and mbotps should access it successfully.
This can be tested by running mbotps with the --help option:




Program mbotps



MB-system Version 5.8.3beta03







MBotps predicts tides using methods and data derived from the OSU Tidal Prediction Software (OTPS) distributions.







usage: mbotps



       [




       --input=datalist {-Idatalist}




       --format=format_id {-Fformat_id}




       --use-mbprocess {-M}




       --skip-existing {-S}




       --tide-output=file {-Ooutput}




       --tide-position=lon/lat {-Rlon/lat}




       --tide-format=format_id {-Atideformat}




       --interval=interval {-Dinterval}




       --start-time=year/month/day/hour/minute/second {-Byear/month/day/hour/minute/second}




       --end-time=year/month/day/hour/minute/second {-Eyear/month/day/hour/minute/second}




       --tide-station-file=file {-Ntidestationfile}




       --tide-station-position=lon/lat {-Ulon/lat}




       --tide-station-format=format_id {-Ctidestationformat}




       --otps-model=model_name {-Tmodel}




       --otps-path=path {-Ppath}




       --help {-H}




       --verbose {-V}




       ]












Checking for available OTPS tide models




  OTPS location: /usr/local/src/otps




  Default OTPS model name: tpxo10_atlas




  Specified OTPS model name: 




  Possible OTPS tidal models:




    tpxo10_atlas <installed>




  Number of available OTPS tide models: 1







Using OTPS tide model:  tpxo10_atlas




The output of mbotps indicates that the desired tidal model is available.

 
MB-SYSTEM AUTHORSHIP

David W. Caress




  Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute



Dale N. Chayes




  Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping




  University of New Hampshire



Christian do Santos Ferreira




  MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences




  University of Bremen


--input=datalist





Sets the input filename. If format > 0 (set with the
--format option) then the swath sonar data contained in infile
is read and processed. If format < 0, then infile
is assumed to be an ascii file containing a list of the input swath sonar
data files to be processed and their formats.  The program will read
the data in each one of these files.
In the infile file, each
data file should be followed by a data format identifier, e.g.:

        datafile1 11


        datafile2 24




This program uses the MBIO library and will read or write any swath sonar
format supported by MBIO. A list of the swath sonar data formats
currently supported by MBIO and their identifier values
is given in the MBIO manual page. Default: infile = "stdin".
--format=format_id





Sets the data format of the input swath data file specified with the
-I option. If format < 0, then the input file specified
with the -I option will actually contain a list of input swath sonar
data files. This program uses the MBIO library and will read any
swath sonar format with timestamps supported by MBIO.
A list of the swath sonar data formats
currently supported by MBIO and their identifier values
is given in the MBIO manual page. The default format is
set using mbdefaults.
--use-mbprocess


If the -I option has been used so that tidal models are created for swath files,
then this option causes each swath file's parameter file to be modified so that
mbprocess will read and apply the ancillary tidal model file created by
mbotps.
--skip-existing


If tide models are being generated for swath files specified using the -I option,
then skip files that already have an existing tide model.
--tide-output=file





Sets the filename of the tidal model output.
--tide-position=lon/lat





Sets the longitude and latitude position at which the tidal model will be
calculated.
--tide-format=format_id





This option sets the format of the tide station data in the file specified using
the -Ntidestationfile option. The tide station data may be in one of
four ASCII, space delimited, table formats:

  tidestationformat=1: format is <time_d tide>

  tidestationformat=2: format is <yr mon day hour min sec tide>

  tidestationformat=3: format is <yr jday hour min sec tide>

  tidestationformat=4: format is <yr jday daymin sec tide>



Note that in format 1 the value time_d = decimal seconds since 1/1/1970 and that
format 4 the value daymin = decimal minutes since the start of day.
--interval=interval





This option sets the time interval between tidal model values in seconds.
Default: 60 seconds.
--start-time=year/month/day/hour/minute/second





This option sets the starting time for for the output tidal model.
--end-time=year/month/day/hour/minute/second





This option sets the ending time for the output tidal model
--tide-station-file=file





Sets the filename of the tide station data file used to correct the output tide
model.
--tide-station-position=lon/lat





Sets the longitude and latitude position of the tide station from which the data
specified with the \--tide-station-file=fItidestationfile.
--tide-station-format=format_id





This option sets the format of the tide station data in the file specified using
the -Ntidestationfile option. The tide station data may be in one of
four ASCII, space delimited, table formats:

  tidestationformat=1: format is <time_d tide>

  tidestationformat=2: format is <yr mon day hour min sec tide>

  tidestationformat=3: format is <yr jday hour min sec tide>

  tidestationformat=4: format is <yr jday daymin sec tide>



Note that in format 1 the value time_d = decimal seconds since 1/1/1970 and that
format 4 the value daymin = decimal minutes since the start of day.
--otps-model=model_name





Sets the name of the OTPSnc tidal model to be used. This model must be part of
the local OTPSnc installation. Examples include "tpxo7.2" and "altas".
Default: "tpxo10_atlas"
--otps-path=path





Sets the path to the local installation of OTPS, which in turn defines the
location of the program predict_tide called by mbotps and
the tide model to be used by predict_tide.
--help





This "help" flag cause the program to print out a description
of its operation and then exit immediately.
--verbose





Increases the verbosity of mbotps.


 
EXAMPLES

Suppose one wishes to obtain a tidal model for the location 121W 36N extending
at 60 second intervals over the day February 21, 2009. The following will suffice:

        mbotps --tide-position=125/36 --start-time=2009/02/21/00/00/00 \


                        --end-time=2009/02/21/23/59/59 --verbose




The shell output looks like:




Program mbotps



MB-system Version 5.8.3beta03




Checking for available OTPS tide models




  OTPS location: /usr/local/src/otps




  Default OTPS model name: tpxo10_atlas




  Specified OTPS model name: 




  Possible OTPS tidal models:




    tpxo10_atlas <installed>




  Number of available OTPS tide models: 1




Using OTPS tide model:  tpxo10_atlas



Running: cd /usr/local/src/otps; ./predict_tide





 Lat/Lon/Time file:/Users/caress/t30135.txt




 Predict OCEAN tide




 DATA/TPXO10_atlas_v2/h_m2_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2




 Model:        src/otps/DATA/Model_tpxo10_atlas




 Lat limits:     -90.0166702       90.0166702    




 Lon limits:      1.66666675E-02   360.016663    




 Constituents: m2  s2  k1  o1  n2  p1  k2  q1  2n2 mf  mm  m4  ms4 mn4 s1  




 Predict elevations (m)




 Constituents to include: m2  s2  k1  o1  n2  p1  k2  q1  2n2 mf  mm  m4  ms4 mn4 s1  




 Infer minor constituents except those listed above.




 The grid bathymetry defined in z, u, v - nodes




 Bathymetry at u/v nodes is used to calculate currents



Opening atlas files:m2  s2  k1  o1  n2  p1  k2  q1  2n2 mf  mm  m4  ms4 mn4 s1   done




 Results are in /Users/caress/u30135.txt







Results are really in tide_model.txt





The output tidal model is in the file tide_model.txt, which includes
data that look like:



       # Tide model generated by program mbotps




       # MB-System Version: 5.8.3beta03




       # Tide model generated by program mbotps




       # which in turn calls OTPS program predict_tide obtained from:




       #     http://www.coas.oregonstate.edu/research/po/research/tide/




       #




       # OTPSnc tide model: 




       #      tpxo10_atlas




       # Output format:




       #      year month day hour minute second tide




       # where tide is in meters




       # Run by user <caress> on cpu <RAITT-1121.local> at <Tue Nov 19 21:36:30 2024>




       # Model:        src/otps/DATA/Model_tpxo10_atlas




       # Constituents included: m2  s2  k1  o1  n2  p1  k2  q1  2n2 mf  mm  m4  ms4 mn4 s1  




       2009 02 21 00 00 00   -0.6780




       2009 02 21 00 01 00   -0.6760




       2009 02 21 00 02 00   -0.6730




       2009 02 21 00 03 00   -0.6710




       2009 02 21 00 04 00   -0.6680




       2009 02 21 00 05 00   -0.6650




       2009 02 21 00 06 00   -0.6630




       2009 02 21 00 07 00   -0.6600




       2009 02 21 00 08 00   -0.6580




       2009 02 21 00 09 00   -0.6550




       2009 02 21 00 10 00   -0.6520




       2009 02 21 00 11 00   -0.6490




       2009 02 21 00 12 00   -0.6470




       2009 02 21 00 13 00   -0.6440





        .................




       2009 02 21 23 54 00   -0.7900




       2009 02 21 23 55 00   -0.7890




       2009 02 21 23 56 00   -0.7870




       2009 02 21 23 57 00   -0.7860




       2009 02 21 23 58 00   -0.7840




       2009 02 21 23 59 00   -0.7820








Now, suppose that one wants to apply tide corrections directly to a set of EM3002
data in GSF format. First, execute mbotps with the datalist for the swath
data specified as input:

        mbotps --input=datalist.mb-1 --verbose




The resulting shell output looks like:




        Program mbotps





        MB-system Version 5.8.3beta03








       Checking for available OTPS tide models




         OTPS location: /usr/local/src/otps




         Default OTPS model name: tpxo10_atlas




         Specified OTPS model name: 




         Possible OTPS tidal models:




               tpxo10_atlas <installed>




         Number of available OTPS tide models: 1




       




       Using OTPS tide model:  tpxo10_atlas




       Running: cd /usr/local/src/otps; ./predict_tide









        ---------------------------------------









        Processing tides for himbb05291.d23.mb121









        35602 records read from himbb05291.d23.mb121.fnv









         Lat/Lon/Time file:tmp_mbotps_llt_7413.txt





         Constituents to include: m2  s2  n2  k2  k1  o1  p1  q1





         Predict OCEAN tide





         Interpolate minor constituents









         DATA/TPXO10_atlas_v2/h_m2_tpxo10_atlas_30_v2





         Model:        src/OTPS/DATA/Model_tpxo10_atlas





         Model is on grid uniform in lat,lon





         Lat limits:    -90.125 90.125





         Lon limits:    0.125 360.125





     Constituents: m2  s2  k1  o1  n2  p1  k2  q1  2n2 mf  mm  m4  ms4 mn4 s1  



        Predict elevations (m)




        Constituents to include: m2  s2  k1  o1  n2  p1  k2  q1  2n2 mf  mm  m4  ms4 mn4 s1  




        Infer minor constituents except those listed above.




        The grid bathymetry defined in z, u, v - nodes




        Bathymetry at u/v nodes is used to calculate currents




       Opening atlas files:m2  s2  k1  o1  n2  p1  k2  q1  2n2 mf  mm  m4  ms4 mn4 s1   done





         Results are in tmp_mbotps_llttd_7413.txt









        Results are really in himbb05291.d23.mb121.tde








The output tide files have the same structure shown above:








        # Tide model generated by program mbotps





        # MB-System Version: 5.8.3beta03





        # Tide model generated by program mbotps





        # which in turn calls OTPS program predict_tide obtained from:





        #     http://www.coas.oregonstate.edu/research/po/research/tide/





        #





        # OTPSnc tide model:





        #      tpxo10_atlas





        # Output format:





        #      year month day hour minute second tide





        # where tide is in meters





        # Run by user <caress> on cpu <deitz> at <Tue Nov 19 17:53:22 2024>





        # Model:        src/OTPS/DATA/Model_tpxo10_atlas





        # Constituents included: m2  s2  n2  k2  k1  o1  p1  q1  mf  mm  m4  ms4 mn4





        2005 10 18 19 01 36    0.0800





        2005 10 18 19 02 36    0.0790





        2005 10 18 19 03 36    0.0770





        2005 10 18 19 04 36    0.0760





        2005 10 18 19 05 37    0.0750





        2005 10 18 19 06 37    0.0730





        2005 10 18 19 07 37    0.0720





        2005 10 18 19 08 37    0.0710





        2005 10 18 19 09 37    0.0700





 



In addition to generating *.tde files for each swath file referenced by the
input datalist structure, when the --use-mbprocess option is specified,
mbotps modifies the parameter file associated
with each swath file (creating it if necessary) so that tide correction is enabled
using the *.tde file and tide format 2. When mbprocess is run on the same
datalist, the files will be reprocessed, and the processing will include the
application of the tide correction to all bathymetry.

 
SEE ALSO

mbsystem(1), mbprocess, mbset

 
BUGS

Installing the OTPS package from OSU is not excessively easy.



 
Index

NAME

VERSION

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

OBTAINING AND INSTALLING OTPS AND TXPO MODELS

MB-SYSTEM AUTHORSHIP

EXAMPLES

SEE ALSO

BUGS