I have my base temperature and rainfall handy, downloaded MT-CLIM from site http://gcmd.nasa.gov/records/MTCLIM.html, only to find that the initializing file is not available to run set up. I want to estimate daily incident solar radiation along the altitude gradient. Anyone who has used this successfully in the past? Any input on this particular program's set-up process? Alternatively I am looking for something that can work on windows.
The radiation calculation in MTCLIM is based on the diurnal temperature excursion, which is in essence a very crude and noisy method. If what you are after is a good estimate of daily irradiation this is not the way to go.
What are the characteristics of your study area (size and time period)?
Thomas--
I am not sure why the NASA page makes it so complicated, but if you go to the *actual* project page for MT-CLIM at http://www.ntsg.umt.edu/project/mtclim you can download a zip package (for use on Unix- and DOS-based systems) that contains an example/test (I just confirmed this on my own). To estimates the desired parameters along a gradient, you'll need to run the program repeatedly using the same base location and your specified sites on the transect.
One publication in 1989 that is not listed on their own project page is available from the US Forest Service at http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_int/int_rp414.pdf (pdf) and may be of additional help to you.
--MG