Per #2631, add a description of some of the static data files that ne…

…ed to be periodically updated. Note that this is NOT an exhaustive list.

docs/Contributors_Guide/dev_details/index.rst

@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@ MET code base. The list of topics is certainly not comprehensive.
    :titlesonly:
 
    tmp_file_use
+   static_data_files

docs/Contributors_Guide/dev_details/static_data_files.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+.. _static_data_files:
+
+Static Data Files
+=================
+
+The MET software package includes static data files that are read at
+runtime and impact the behavior of the MET tools. These static data
+files are organized into subdirectories of the top-level :code:`data` 
+directory. When the MET :code:`configure` script is run, the
+:code:`--prefix path` option (default :code:`/usr/local`) defines
+the directory where the resulting executables and data files should
+be installed. The :code:`make install` step copies the binaries into
+the installation :code:`bin` directory and data files into the
+:code:`share/met` directory. By default these static data files are
+read from the installed :code:`share/met` directory at runtime
+unless the **MET_BASE** environment variable, described in
+:numref:`User's Guide Section %s <met_base_env_var>`, is set to
+override the default location.
+
+Depending on their type, the content of these data files grows stale
+over time and requires updates. Listed below are descriptions of some 
+of the static data sources found in :code:`share/met`, along with
+recommended update frequency and method.
+
+  - :code:`table_files/ndbc_stations.xml`, described in
+    :numref:`User's Guide Section %s <met_ndbc_stations>`, is read by
+    ASCII2NC and contains buoy latitude and longitude locations that can
+    change on a daily basis.
+    To be used in real time, this file should be regenerated daily and the
+    :code:`MET_NDBC_STATION` environment variable should define its
+    current location. Since this static file is included with the code,
+    its contents should be updated **for each major release** using the
+    :code:`scripts/python/utility/build_ndbc_stations_from_web.py` utility.
+
+  - :code:`table_files/airnow_monitoring_site_locations_v2.txt`,
+    described in :numref:`User's Guide Section %s <met_airnow_stations>`,
+    is read by ASCII2NC and contains AIRNOW site latitude and longitude
+    locations that can change over time. The :code:`MET_AIRNOW_STATIONS`
+    environment variable can be set to override its default location.
+    Since this static file is included with the code, its contents should
+    be updated **for each major release**.
+
+  - :code:`table_files/obs_error_table.txt`, described in
+    :numref:`User's Guide Section %s <met_obs_error_table>`, is read by
+    Ensemble-Stat and defines assumptions about observation error. The
+    :code:`MET_OBS_ERROR_TABLE` environment variable can be set to
+    override its default location. Generally, the observation error
+    assumptions in this file do not change over time. Instead, it should
+    be copied and modified by researchers for specific scientific
+    applications and use cases. 
+
+  - :code:`table_files/grib*.txt` files define the GRIB1 and
+    GRIB2 table information. They are read by the MET libraries which
+    read GRIB1 and GRIB2 input data. Additions are made to these tables
+    over time and their contents should be reviewed and updated **for each
+    major X.Y** release. The GRIB2 tables should be kept current with each
+    release of the **wgrib2** software, available at
+    https://github.com/NOAA-EMC/wgrib2.  
+
+  - :code:`table_files/met_header_columns_VX.Y.txt` files define
+    line types and column names for each **X.Y** released version of MET.
+    Stat-Analysis reads these files when processing the STAT output from
+    other MET tools. A new header file must be added **for each major X.Y**
+    release.
+
+  - :code:`table_files/stat_column_descriptions*.txt` is read by
+    Series-Analysis and contains descriptions of each statistic that are
+    written to the **long_name** attribute of the output variables.
+    This only needs to be updated when Series-Analysis is enhanced to
+    write new output statistic types.
+
+  - :code:`tc_data/wwpts_us.txt` is read by TC-Pairs, contains hurricane
+    watch/warning information, and is referenced in the TC-Pairs
+    configuration file. Since hurricane watches and warnings change over
+    time, its contents should be updated **for each major X.Y** release.
+
+  - :code:`tc_data/*land*` files are read be TC-DLand and/or TC-Pairs to
+    define storms distance to land. These definitions seldom change over
+    time and should only be modified when the TC-DLand tool is modified
+    to process the updated inputs.
+

docs/Users_Guide/config_options.rst

@@ -341,6 +341,8 @@ files when specifying paths and the appropriate path will be substituted in.
 If MET_BASE is defined as an environment variable, its value will be used
 instead of the one defined at compilation time.
 
+.. _met_obs_error_table:
+
 MET_OBS_ERROR_TABLE
 -------------------