Which Single Point Option Should I choose?

In general the Section called Running PTS_MODE configurations is the quick and dirty method that gets you started without having to create datasets -- but has limitations. It's good for an initial attempt at seeing results for a point of interest, but since you can NOT restart with it, it's usage is limited. It is the quickest method as you can create a case for it directly from create_newcase. Although you can't restart, running a single point is very fast, and you can run for long simulation times even without restarts. If you need restarts a good solution is to use getregional_datasets.pl and CLM_USRDAT_NAME which can get you running almost as quickly as well as PTS_MODE. Like PTS_MODE the Section called Using getregional_datasets.pl to get a complete suite of single-point/regional surface datasets from global ones only runs for points that exist within a global dataset.

Running CLM_PT1_NAME is a great solution, if one of the supported single-point/regional datasets, is your region of interest (see the Section called Running Supported Single-point/Regional Datasets). All the datasets are created for you, and you can easily select one and run, pretty much, out of the box with it. The problem is that there is a very limited set of supported datasets. You can also use this method for your own datasets, but you have to create the datasets, and add them to the XML database and to the DATM. This is worthwhile if you want to repeat many multiple cases for a given point or region.

Next, CLM_USRDAT_NAME is the best way to setup cases quickly where you have to create your own datasets (see the Section called Creating your own single-point/regional surface datasets). With this method you don't have to change DATM or add files to the XML database -- but you have to follow a strict naming convention for files. However, once the files are named and in the proper location, you can easily setup new cases that use these datasets. This is good for treating all the required datasets as a "group" and for a particular model version. For advanced CLM developers who need to track dataset changes with different model versions you would be best off adding these datasets as supported datasets with the CLM_PT1_NAME method.

Lastly PTCLM is a great way to easily create datasets, setup simulations and run simulations for tower sites. It takes advantage of both CLM_PT1_NAME and CLM_USRDAT_NAME internally. A big advantage to it, is that it's one-stop shopping, it runs tools to create datasets, and runs create_newcase and sets the appropriate env variables for you. So you only have to learn how to run one tool, rather than work with many different ones. PTCLM is described in the next chapter Chapter 6.

Finally, if you also have meteorology data that you want to force your CLM simulations with you'll need to setup cases as described in the Section called Running with your own atmosphere forcing. You'll need to create CLM datasets either according to CLM_PT1_NAME or CLM_USRDAT_NAME, but you'll also need to modify DATM to use your forcing data. And you'll need to change your forcing data to be in a format that DATM can use. In the PTCLM chapter the the Section called Converting AmeriFlux Data for use by PTCLM in Chapter 6 section tells you how to use AmeriFlux data for atmospheric forcing.