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NU-WRF Version 7 "Arthur" Patch 5: v7lis7-3.5.1-p5

The fifth stable patch to NU-WRF Version 7 (v7lis7-3.5.1-p5) was released on 19 November 2015.

WHAT CHANGED:

  • Updated 4ICE microphysics scheme, and added aerosol coupling.
  • Added a general, MPI-safe convective stratiform index diagnostic for all microphysics schemes rather than just 3ICE and 4ICE. Old CSI code in 3ICE and 4ICE has been removed.
  • Revised wrfout variable list to reduce file size and write times. Also added total latent heat rate calculation, and now pass dx to 4ICE scheme.
  • Fixed asynchronous I/O ("quilting") for coupled WRF-LIS.
  • Updated REAL to use less memory when reading from LDT/LIS netCDF file.
  • Small number of LIS updates (still based on 7.1r):
    • Combined lisconfig_offline, lisconfig_coupled1, and lisconfig_coupled2 routines into lisconfig_generic.
    • Add VIIRS and SPoRT GVF testcases.
    • Add support to diagnose greenness in units of percentage.
    • Update ldt.config files for the wrfout testcase.
    • Add nest loop to metForcGen_interp_finalize routine.
  • GOCART2WRF updates:
    • Added support for offline GOCART netCDF files.
    • Added support for MERRA2 GOCART inst3_3d_aer_Nv files.
    • New proc_merra2_gocart_ges_disc.sh script to download MERRA2 GOCART data from GES DISC web page and process with GOCART2WRF.
    • Revised GOCART2WRF logic for MERRAero dR_MERRA-AA-r2.inst3d_aer_v files.
    • Updated README file.
  • New proc_merra2_ges_disc.sh script. This downloads and processes MERRA2 data hosted on the NASA GES DISC web page. The GES DISC fields appear identical to the data hosted on Discover by the GMAO, and no changes are required for MERRA2WRF. [Note: No aerosol data is processed by MERRA2WRF.]
  • Disabled call to WRF-Chem optical driver when using 2011 or 2014 Goddard radiation.
  • Bug fixes to GOCART volumetric mean refractive index calculation: (1) Removed erroneous copying of dust to "other inorganics", which created spurious extra source of aerosols; and (2) Removed MSA from refractive index calculation.
  • Updates to 2014 Goddard radiation:
    • Rescaled molecular absorption up 50% in SW scheme to correct severe underestimation of clear-sky atmospheric absorption. Value adjusted toward RRTMG.
    • Increased CO2 concentration.
    • Moved mcdat_int variable to ensure scheme runs under hybrid MPI/OpenMP.
    • New lookup tables for 4ICE microphysics.
  • Lateral boundary condition bug fix (cherrypicked from WRF 3.7).
  • Fixed bug for spreading dust emissions across multiple near-surface levels.
  • Increase in maximum I/O time levels.
  • Added kinetic energy spectra scripts (from DSCALE project).
  • Upgrade GSDSU to 3.5, which includes:
    • Global IR emissivity database from University of Wisconsin (Seemann et al. 2008);
    • Modified size boundaries for precipitating and non-precipitating particles (200-micron diameter threshold consistently) for computing microwave/visible-IR optical properties;
    • UV-VIS-IR non-spherical ice scattering database for visir simulator from Texas A&M University team (Yang et al. 2013).
    • Bug fixes for memory allocation, writing to netCDF output file, and handling MPI aborts.
    • Updated GSDSU User Guide.
  • Modified LDT to output netCDF4 file for REAL if selected at compile time.  Earlier code was hardwired to use classic netCDF3, which made LDT unusable for very large domains (e.g., 5000x5000).
  • Bug fix to G3 cumulus scheme to prevent division by zero in Himalayas.
  • Changed PREP_CHEM_SOURCES to support new 72-level GOCART background data files for actual year and month being processed.  The user should edit prep_chem_sources.inp and set gocart_bg_data_type=``new''; create a gocart_bg_new subdirectory on the same level as the gocart_bg folder containing the community 55-level files; and store new geos5_met_1MAVG_YYYYMM.nc and gmi_merra_oxidants_YYYYMM_1.25x1.nc files in gocart_bg_new, where YYYY is the 4-digit year and MM is the 2-digit month. If PREP_CHEM_SOURCES cannot find both files, it will fall back on gmi_2006MM.nc files in gocart_bg_new, which are also 72-levels but only exist for 2006.
  • Limited UPP support for Goddard microphysics schemes. Graupel and hail mixing ratios are now read in. If the NU-WRF 3ICE or 4ICE scheme was used (not the community WRF version), then the 3D dBZ field will also be read in.  Radiance generation is disabled (use GSDSU for that). Since hail is not in the NCEP GRIB table, hail and graupel mixing ratios are combined. This may lead to problems with the GSD visibility product, but the proper extinction coefficients for hail are unknown.

WHAT IS MISSING

  • EDA package. This will be ported to Discover and then bundled with Arthur Patch 5 shortly.
  • LIS 7.1rp1.  Not released yet. This will be put into the future NU-WRF Version 8 (Bjerknes).
  • CASA CO2 updates. This will probably be released in Arthur Patch 6.

KNOWN BUGS

  • Grell-Freitas cumulus scheme (cu_physics=3) sensitive to CPU count. Use G3 (cu_physics=5) instead.
  • Run-time problems with Very Large Grids (e.g., 5000x5000x50). This is being addressed.
  • 1-way nesting changes answer in parent grid for different CPU counts. This hopefully is fixed in WRF 3.7.1.
  • CASA2WRF not using netCDF4 compression in output.
  • Intel MPI hangs on Discover for large (> 2000 cpu) jobs; use SGI MPT instead.
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