The SHEBA daily ECMWF DDH archive contains 4 files. 
They are 'tared' and compressed into one file named:

SHEBA_yymmdd.tar.Z

The 4 files are named:

*_var
*_flx
*_ten
*_sfc

Every day of data starts with a header (first 3 lines). The first line
explains the second. The first four parameters on the second line are
model internal parameters and are irrelevant for the user. The next two
numbers mark model point for which the data was extracted
(note that the model resolution is about 0.56x0.56 degrees). The third
line has the headers for the columns which follow. 'idat' and 'itime' are
the initial date and time of the forecast from which the data was 
retrieved.'vdate' and 'vtime' are the verifying date and time of the
data meaning date and time which it is valid for. Hence the difference
to the initial date and time indicates the forecast range used. The next
column ('lev') is the model level of the data followed by the data
itself, which varies from file to file (see below). The pressure of each
of the model levels can be retrieved from the *var* file, where it is
stored in the first data column.

The contents of the individual files is the following:

*_var

These files contain the model variables on the 31 model levels. Level 1
is the top full level of the model (10 hPa), level 31 is the lowest 
full level.

The order of the variables is:

p - pressure (Pa)
u - zonal wind component (m/s)
v - meridional wind component (m/s)
T - temperature (K)
q - specific humidity (kg/kg)
l - specific cloud liquid water content (kg/kg)
i - specific cloud ice content (kg/kg)
a - cloud fraction (percent/100.)
R - reative humidity (percent/100.)
w - omega=vertical velocity in pressure coordinates (Pa/s)

*_flx

These files contain the radiative, turbulent, and precipitation fluxes 
throughout the atmosphere.The fluxes are averages over the last hour.

They are archived on the 32 so called flux levels of the model
(often referred to as half-levels). The full levels on which the variables
are stored are placed between two flux levels. Hence, level 32 represents
the surface and level 1 the top of the atmosphere. Full level k is between
half level k and k+1. The fluxes in level 32 are the surface fluxes !!!

The order of the fluxes is:

t fswr - net shortwave flux (W/m2)
t flwr - net longwave flux (W/m2)
t fvdf - sensible heat flux (W/m2)
q fvdf - turbulent moisture flux (kg/kg * kg/(m2*s))
q fcvr - convective rain flux (kg/(m2*s) = mm/s)
q fcvn - convective snow flux (mm/s)
q flsr - large-scale rain flux (mm/s)
q flsn - large-scale snow flux (mm/s)

On and after Dec 18, 1997, the following two fluxes were also added:

u fvdf - turbulent momentum flux - u component (m/s * kg/(m2*s))
v fvdf - turbulent momentum flux - v component (m/s * kg/(m2*s))


*_ten

These files contain the total and physical tendencies for u,v,T and q on
the 31 model levels. The units are as above per second.

The order of the tendencies is:

u total
u physics
v total
v physics
T total
T physics
q total
q physics

*_sfc

These files contain surface variables and fluxes. The level number is set
to 1.

The order is:

surface pressure (Pa)
2-m temperature (K)
2-m specific humidity (kg/kg)
10-m wind u component (m/s)
10-m wind v component (m/s)
skin temperature (K)
surface roughness length (m)
surface roughness length for heat (m)
surface albedo (%/100.)
downward surface solar radiation (W/m2)
downward surface thermal radiation (W/m2)

Note:

Very small (.lt.1.E-10 for precipitation and .lt. 1.E-1 for radiation)
and small negative numbers in solar radiation and precipitation are 
due to packing and unpacking mechanisms and do not represent 
model problems !