NCAR CSM Flux Coupler, version 4.0 -- User's Guide         Table of Contents

6   Input Parameters

 §6.1 
List of Input Parameters
 §6.2  Example Input Namelists

The Flux Coupler uses Fortran's namelist input parameter processing capability. The Coupler reads an input namelist, called inparm, from stdin at runtime. This section contains a list and description of available namelist input parameters.

6.1   List of Input Parameters

Flux Coupler input variables follow a naming convention in which the first few letters of the variable identify a basic functionality group: The following list of input namelist parameters includes:
case_name
Type: character string
Default: "null"
Required: no, but highly recommended
Description: This is the case name text string, up to 8 characters, which is included in output files to help identify the model run.
See Example: 1, 2, 3, 4

case_desc
Type: character string
Default: "null"
Required: no, but highly recommended
Description: This is a short text string, up to 80 characters, which is included in output files to help identify the model run.
See Example: 1, 2, 3, 4

rest_type
Type: character string
Default: "initial"
Required: no (but default is of limited usefulness)
Description: This selects the run type. Valid choices are: "initial", "continue", "branch", "regenerate." Selecting "branch" or "regenerate" makes rest_bfile a required input.
See Example: 1, 2, 3, 4

rest_bfile
Type: character string
Default: "null"
Required: required if rest_type = "branch" or "regeneration", ignored otherwise
Description: This is the mass store file name of the branch file (a.k.a. the IC data file).
See Example: 3, 4

rest_pfile
Type: character string
Default: "null"
Required: yes
Description: This is the complete path and name of the restart pointer file. This must include an existing, NFS mounted directory. All run types will update this file (and create it, if necessary), but only a continuation runs requires that this file exists prior to the start of the run.
See Example: 1, 2, 3, 4

rest_date
Type: integer
Default: 00000101 (year 0, month 1, day 1)
Required: no (optional for initial and branch runs, ignored otherwise)
Description: This is the restart date (encoded: yyyymmdd).
  • On initial runs, rest_date is the initial date of the simulation.
  • On branch runs, if rest_date > 0, it will over-ride the date contained in the rest_bfile IC restart file. Otherwise the date from the rest_bfile data file is used.
  • On continuation or regeneration runs rest_date is not used (the date contained in the IC file is used).
    See Example: 1

    rest_freq
    Type: character string
    Default: "monthly"
    Required: no
    Description: This is the restart frequency, one of "monthly", "yearly", or "ndays" which selects how often restart data files are created.
    See Example: 3

    rest_n
    Type: integer
    Default: 10
    Required: no (only used if rest_freq = "ndays")
    Description: If rest_freq = "ndays", restart files will be created every n days. More specifically, whenever mod(d-p;n) = 0, where
    d = the simulation day (1 Jan, year 1 <=> d = 365)
    p = an offset such that mod(d-p;n) = 0 on the date specified by rest_odate
    n = rest_n
    See Example: 3

    rest_odate
    Type: integer
    Default: 0
    Required: no
    Description: Selects restart file offset calendar date, used in conjunction with rest_n when rest_freq = "ndays." If rest_odate > 0, it is a valid calendar date (encoded: yyyymmdd). Restart data is created every n days relative to (and including) either
  • the initial date of the run (if rest_odate < 1)
  • the date rest_odate (if rest_odate > 0)

    stop_option
    Type: character string
    Default: "newyear"
    Required: no
    Description: Selects when to stop the simulation.
  • "newdecade" => stop at the start of the next decade
  • "newyear" => stop on the next January 1st
  • "newmonth" => stop on the 1st of the next month
  • "ndays" => stop after advancing n days, where n=stop_n
  • "date" => stop when stop_date is reached. This makes stop_date a required input.
    See Example: 1, 2, 3, 4

    stop_n
    Type: integer
    Default: 1
    Required: no (only used when stop_option = "ndays")
    Description: If stop_option = "ndays", stop after advancing stop_n days.
    See Example: 3

    stop_date
    Type: integer
    Default: 00010101 (year 1, month 1, day 1)
    Required: no (required if stop_option = "date", ignored otherwise)
    Description: If stop_option = "date", stop on this date.
    See Example: 4

    hist_freq
    Type: character string
    Default: "monthly"
    Required: no
    Description: One of "monthly", "biweekly", "weekly", or "ndays", which selects how often instantaneous history data is created.
  • "monthly" => data is created on the 1st of each month
  • "biweekly" => data is created on the 1st and 15th of each month
  • "weekly" => data is created on the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd of each month
  • "ndays" => history data is created every n days relative to a history offset date specified by hist_odate.
  • "nstep" => history data is created every n time steps relative to and including the first time step of each day. Note: history data is never created on a simulation stopping date, but history data can be created on a simulation starting date.
    See Example: 2

    hist_n
    Type: integer
    Default: 10
    Required: no (only used if hist_freq = "ndays" or "nstep")
    Description: If hist_freq = "ndays" > 0, history files will be created every n days. More specifically, whenever mod(d-p;n) = 0, where
    d = the simulation day (1 Jan, year 1 <=> d = 365 )
    n = hist_n
    p = an offset such that mod(d-p;n) = 0 on the date specified by hist_odate
    If hist_freq = "nstep" > 0, history files will be created every n time steps including the first time step of each day.
    See Example: 2

    hist_odate
    Type: integer
    Default: 0
    Required: no (only used if hist_freq = "ndays")
    Description: Selects history file offset calendar date, used in conjunction with hist_n when hist_freq = "ndays". If hist_odate > 1, it is a valid calendar date (encoded: yyyymmdd). See hist_freq for usage. History data is created every n days relative to (and including) either
  • the initial date of the run (if hist_odate < 1)
  • the 1st of the month (if hist_odate = 1)
  • the date hist_odate (if hist_odate > 1)
    See Example: 2

    hist_bundle
    Type: character string
    Default: "null" (no bundling)
    Required: no
    Description: If hist_freq is "daily", "monthly", "quarterly", or "yearly", instantaneous history data files will contain multiple time samples. When the next day, month, quarter, or year (respectively) is encountered, the data file will be archived to the MSS, a new history file will be created, and subsequent data will be collected into this new file. A history file's name indicates the date of the first time sample in that file.

    hist_tavg
    Type: integer
    Default: 1 (true)
    Required: no
    Description: If hist_tavg is true (non-zero), the Coupler will create monthly average history data files and component models will be requested to do the same. Time averaged data is not bundled (i.e. there is always one set of monthly average fields per file).

    diag_freq
    Type: character string
    Default: "never"
    Required: no
    Description: One of "never", "monthly", "biweekly", "weekly", "ndays", or "nstep", which selects how often instantaneous diagnositic data is created.
  • "never" => data is never created
  • "yearly" => data is created on the 1st day of each year
  • "quarterly" => data is created on the 1st day of each quarter
  • "monthly" => data is created on the 1st of each month
  • "biweekly" => data is created on the 1st and 15th of each month
  • "weekly" => data is created on the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd of each month
  • "ndays" => data is created every n days relative to an offset date specified by diag_odate. See diag_n.
  • "nstep" => data is created every n time steps, including the first time step of each day. See diag_n.

    diag_n
    Type: integer
    Default: 10
    Required: no (only used if diag_freq = "ndays" or "nstep")
    Description: If diag_freq = "ndays", diagnostic data will be created every n days. More specifically, whenever mod(d-p;n) = 0, where
    d = the simulation day (1 Jan, year 1 <=> d = 365 )
    n = diag_n
    p = an offset such that mod(d-p;n) = 0 on the date specified by diag_odate
    If diag_freq = "nstep", diagnostic data will be created every n time steps including the first time step of each day.
    See Example: 2

    diag_odate
    Type: integer
    Default: 0
    Required: no (only used if diag_freq = "ndays")
    Description: Selects diagnostic data offset calendar date, used in conjunction with diag_n when diag_freq = "ndays". If diag_odate > 1, it is a valid calendar date (encoded: yyyymmdd). See diag_freq for usage. Diagnostic data is created every n days relative to (and including) either
  • the initial date of the run (if hist_odate < 1)
  • the 1st of the month (if hist_odate = 1)
  • the date hist_odate (if hist_odate > 1)

    flx_albav
    Type: integer
    Default: 0 (false)
    Required: no
    Description: If true (non-zero), the atm is sent albedo fields which are zenith angle independent. The default is that the atm is sent albedo fields which are zenith angle dependent. Typically flx_albav is only turned on when the atm component is a climatological data atm model that is sending daily average data to the coupler.

    flx_epbal
    Type: integer
    Default: 0 (false)
    Required: no
    Description: If true (non-zero), adjust the precipitation field over the non-land-locked ocean and ice by a spatially constant factor. The default factor is such that E + P = 0 (globally integrated) over that ocean and ice surface area, but the ocean model may provide an alternate factor during execution. Typically flx_epbal is only turned on if the lnd component is not sending runoff data to the coupler (i.e. it is sending all zero runoff data) or if the ocean model is ignoring the runoff data it receives from the coupler.

    flx_solar
    Type: integer
    Default: 0 (false)
    Required: no
    Description: If true (non-zero), the coupler redistributes the atm net solar data amoungst the surface types. The redistribution is based upon the surface albedos. Note that while land, ice, or ocean may be underneath an atm grid cell, the atm only computes one net solar field for that grid cell (based upon the average surface albedo for that cell). Thus, if flx_solar = 0, and (e.g.) both ice and ocn lie under one atm grid cell, the ice and ocn would both get the same absorbed solar radiation in spite of their widely varying surface albedos.

    orb_year
    Type: integer
    Default: < none >
    Required: yes
    Description: This is the calendar year which is used to determine the solar orbit and resulting solar angles. Valid values are in the range [-1000000, +1000000]. A typical value might be 1990.
    See Examples: 1,2,3,4

    mss_dir
    Type: character string
    Default: "null"
    Required: yes
    Description: This is a mass store directory name. Restart and history files go into this directory. For continuation or regeneration runs, the initial condition restart file must also be in this directory.

    mss_opts
    Type: character string
    Default: "nowait, nomail"
    Required: no
    Description: Options used when data files are sent to NCAR's Mass Storage System (MSS) via a mswrite library call. This default request uses asynchronous data file transfer. See the mswrite man pages at NCAR for more details.
    See Example: 4

    mss_pass
    Type: character string
    Default: " "
    Required: no
    Description: Mswrite password string for files sent to the MSS. See the mswrite man pages at NCAR for more details. The mswrite password format is "[read-password][,write-password]".
    See Example: 4

    mss_rtpd
    Type: integer
    Default: 365
    Required: no
    Description: Retention period, in days, for data files sent to the MSS. See the mswrite man pages at NCAR for more details.
    See Example: 4

    init_tavg
    Type: integer
    Default: 1 (true) for initial runs, 0 (false) otherwise
    Required: no
    Description: If true (non-zero), on startup, the atm, ice, and lnd models are advanced one ocn synchronization interval while the ocn does not advance. This allows the formation of initial time-averaged fluxes for the ocn component. After this initial procedure, all models will begin to advance in unison.

    info_dbug
    Type: integer
    Default: 1
    Required: no
    Description: Debugging information level: 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • 0 => do not write any extra debugging information to stdout
  • 1 => write a small amount of extra debugging information to stdout
  • 2 => write a medium amount of extra debugging information to stdout
  • 3 => write a large amount of extra debugging information to stdout
    See Example: 2

    info_time
    Type: integer
    Default: 0 (false)
    Required: no (normally not recommended)
    Description: If true (non-zero), write message passing timing info to stdout.
  • 6.2   Example Input Namelists

    Example 1: an initial run

        $inparm
        case_name   = "test.01"
        case_desc   = "testing an initial run "
        rest_type   = "initial"
        rest_pfile  = "$HOME/cpl.test.01.rpointer"
        rest_date   = 19800101
        stop_option = "date"
        stop_date   = 19800701
        orb_year    = 1990
        mss_dir     = "/DOE/csm/test.01/cpl/ "
        /
    

    Here the inputs specify an initial run starting on 1 Jan 1980 and stopping on 1 Jul 1980. The restart pointer file, rest_pfile, will be in the user's home directory. The restart pointer file will contain the name of the most recently created restart file. Restart and history files will be sent to the MSS directory "/DOE/csm/test.01/cpl/...". History data files and restart files will be created according to the default settings (on the 1st of each month). Solar orbit calculations will be based on the year 1990. The Flux Coupler will be communicating with atmosphere, ice, land, and ocean models that are executing simultaneously.

    Example 2: a continuation run

        $inparm
        case_name   = "test.01"
        case_desc   = "testing a continuation run "
        rest_type   = "continue"
        rest_pfile  = "$HOME/cpl.test.01.rpointer"
        stop_option = "newyear"
        hist_freq   = "ndays"
        hist_n      = 10
        hist_odate  = 1
        diag_freq   = "monthly"
        orb_year    = 1990
        mss_dir     = "/DOE/csm/test.01/cpl/ "
        info_dbug   = 0
        /
    

    Here the inputs specify a continuation run. Assuming this run continues from where example 1 finished, this run will start on 1 Jul 1980 and stop on 1 Jan 1981. Exactly where this run continues from is specified by the restart pointer file, which contains the name of the restart file that will be used. Restart files will be created according to the default settings (on the 1st of each month). History data will be created every 10 days relative to the 1st day of each month, i.e. on the 1st, 11th, 21st, and 31st of every month. Setting diag_freq = "monthly" will signal the coupler to calculate some global diagnostic information on the 1st of each month and write it to stdout. New restart and history files will be sent to the MSS directory specified by mss_dir. Setting info_dbug = 0 will minimize the amount of debugging information written to stdout.

    Example 3: a branch run

        $inparm
        case_name   = "test.02"
        case_desc   = "testing  a branch run "
        rest_type   = "branch"
        rest_pfile  = "$HOME/cpl.test.02.rpointer"
        rest_bfile  = "/DOE/csm/test.01/cpl/r1981-01-01 "
        rest_freq   = "ndays"
        rest_n      = 10
        stop_option = "ndays"
        stop_n       = 31
        orb_year    = 1990
        mss_dir     = "/DOE/csm/test.02/cpl/ "
        /
    

    Here the input parameter rest_type specifies a branch run. The branch file (/DOE/.../r1981-01-01) must be specified. This initial condition file was created by a previous simulation. Since the simulation's starting date (rest_date) is unspecified in the namelist, the date from the branch file will be used (1 Jan 1981). The simulation will stop after advancing 31 days (1 Feb 1981). Restart files will be created every 10 days relative to the start of the run.

    Example 4: a regeneration run

        $inparm
        case_name   = "test.01"
        case_desc   = "regenerate some data "
        rest_type   = "regeneration"
        rest_pfile  = "$HOME/cpl.test.01.rpointer"
        rest_bfile  = "/DOE/csm/test.01/cpl/r1980-07-01 "
        stop_option = "date"
        stop_date   = 19800801
        orb_year    = 1990
        mss_dir     = "/DOE/csm/test.01/cpl/ "
        mss_rtpd    = 30
        mss_pass    = ",rosebud"
        mss_opts    = "nowait"
        /
    

    Here the inputs specify a regeneration run. The initial condition file, rest_bfile, must be specified. The simulation's starting date is taken from this branch file (1 Jul 1980). The stop options will cause the simulation to stop on a particular date, 1 Aug 1981. The mass store file retention period and write password have been selected here.


    Fri 07 Aug 1998, 12:00:00