Memory issue when loading data

I am loading the following hcst and obs data with the verification suite in my Workstation:

*         dat:   1
*         var:   1
*        sday:   1
*       sweek:   1
*       syear:  24
*        time:   6
*    latitude: 180
*   longitude: 360
*    ensemble:  25
* Total size of requested data:
*   1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 24 x 6 x 180 x 360 x 25 x 8 bytes = 1.7 Gb

*         dat:   1
*         var:   1
*        sday:   1
*       sweek:   1
*       syear:  24
*        time:   6
*    latitude: 180
*   longitude: 360
* Total size of requested data:
*   1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 24 x 6 x 180 x 360 x 8 bytes = 71.2 Mb

Using the command htop I see that data load takes up 50% of my WS memory, corresponding to 8Gb, four times greater than the data that I am loading.

Could there possibly be some temporal variables being loaded here which are not removed?

This issue is not currently a problem for me, since I can use Nord3 instead, but I just wanted to let you know about it.

Thanks,

Nadia