Modelling class/workshop

Brainstorming agenda and notes

Opening up the session notes with bold
When should this class be held? (10 min)
- The suggestion from students was November-December (say before AGU fall meeting), is that too optimistic?
- It was decided that January would be better
  - Anything outside the 13-15th would work. Best would be either 6th-10th or 19-23th of January 2014
Topics of the class and time plan (20 min)
- Should something be added or taken away?
- Does the time plan seem reasonable? Is the order of things reasonable, is there too little time?
- See the learning outcomes
Lectures/lecturers (40 min)
- We would suggest to have two sessions each day. Each sessions would have approximately 2 lectures and assigned organisers. They could then keep the lectures on their own or invite someone else to speak.
- Sessions could be also workshop type: 1 lecture after which discussion about the topic based on the lecture and some previously assigned literature.
- See the learning outcomes
  - The workshop type lecturing was supported
- Assigning organisers/speakers
Sensitivity studies (20 min)
- Should be relatively easy to set up and run, but at the same time interesting enough
- Suggestions include: different grids, time stepping (probably not possible), slab ocean vs full ocean, land-use etc.
- Is this feasible?
- It was decided that although most interesting for some, it should not be part of this class
  - There is a ResClim downscaling class planned for next summer (more hands-on)
Wrapping up (15 min)
- Does everyone know what to do to make this happen?
- Suggestions or other ideas we should still consider?
- Named people will contact outside lecturers
- Students will have a short meeting together to see if the plan is suitable and to discuss the structure a bit
Next meeting (5 min)
- Probably one short meeting required with everyone involved before the class starts

Motivation

Many of us are using modelling more or less extensively as a part of our thesis and even if one wouldn’t be using any model, it would be very beneficial to have some knowledge about model set-up just to be able to read the literature and analyse the data. Also it is relatively easy to get access to different model codes in general and even set up an experiment. However, it might be often be that the user doesn't understand all (or maybe any of) the issues related to the set-up and in the worst case one might try to interpret some model artefacts as meaningful results. We hope this course could give some insight in these issues.

The idea in short

Learn how different processes are represented in different types of models
- Why and what does it mean in terms of using the model
Additionally for those who are interested
- Run some rather simple sensitivity tests to get an idea how these things work in practise
- Test different parameterizations, grids, solar radiation, land-use, Coriolis parameter, slab vs. full ocean
- This could be done with 'tutor' idea, people who have previous modelling experience would join together with the less experienced ones

Learning outcomes

Learn some fundamentals of different type of models
- What type of questions can be answered with full climate models, ocean/atmosphere stand-alone, regional scale etc.
Process approach: go trough some of the most challenging aspects in modelling and how are they solved in different type of models and what consequences does this have
Topics:
- Model set-up/design, 1st day, how to build a model
  - Basic equations
  - Discretizations (Mats: unstructured grids, volume vs spectral, dis/advantages)
  - approximations (non-hydrostatic vs hydrostatic)
  - resolution
  - coupling
  - predictability (Francois Counillon)
  - super-parameterizations
  - Conservation of properties
- Parameterizations for missing [physical] processes (rest of the week)
  - Convection (Mats, Thomas T knows Steve)
  - Mixing (Mehmet, Robert Hallberg, Alistair Adcroft, Markus Jochum)
  - Topography (Pål Erik Isachsen)
  - Internal waves (Jonas Nycander, Jarle Berntsen)
  - Surface (Thomas knows a guy)
  - Radiation (Thomas T)
  - Cloud microphysics (Trond Iversen, Jon-Egill Kristjansson, from Oslo)
- Special topics for 1-1/2 day depending on time/lecturers
  - sea-ice/land ice/carbon (Petra, Kerim, Pierre Rampal, Cristoph Heinze)

Note: it's obvious that each of these topics could be made into a semester long class, so some narrowing down has to happen.

On-line resources

Time Plan

One week intensive lectures and optional setting-up
- ~5 days of lectures
- Optionally
  - 1-2 days of setting up the model experiments (some overlap with the lectures)
  - Period of one month for running the experiments and analysing the data
  - 1 day for the final seminars (arranged as webinar)

Detailed Time Plan [suggestions for Organisers]

Day 1
- Session 1
  - How to build a model (see learning outcomes)
- Lunch
- Session 2
  - How to build a model continues
Day 2
- Session 3
  - Topic 1
- Lunch
- Session 4
  - Topic 2
Day 3
- Session 5
  - Topic 3
- Lunch
- Session 6
  - Topic 4
  - Setting up the experiments
Day 4
- Session 7
  - Topic 5
- Lunch
- Session 8
  - Topic 6
Day 5
- Session 9
  - Special topic: Sea-ice (short intro to different options, typical advantages and disadvantages, example cases?)
- Lunch
- Session 10
  - Special topic: land-ice, carbon-cycle (short intro to different options, typical advantages and disadvantages, example cases?)

Funding

Tore Furevik: typically around 50 Knok + travel and accommodation for all participants. This covers travel and accommodation for one or two lecturers plus some lecture fees at standard UiB rates.

Questions to find out and solve

Might be computer expensive, data storage?
- The computer time shouldn't be much of a problem
- Since the data storage is also short term it's probably not an issue
Lecturers?
- The best experience with NorESM is already in-house, here are some names with couple of outside guys
- Bergen: Mats, Ingo, Helge, Odd-Helge, Mehmet, Thomas T, Thomas S
- Oslo: Lars Petter Røed
- Boulder: Cindy Bruyere

Examples of the somewhat similar ones out there already?
- Stockholm University is offering a class titled "introduction to climate modelling"
  - This class sounds like it could be the basis for ours
  - More information flyer, description and schedule
- The University of Helsinki/Finnish met institute is offering a class, where they choose a different model each time and do some specific tests and write a short report. This class is also offered as a web-course for anyone interested.
- There is also a the European Earth System and Climate Modelling School lead by the NCAS & MPI-M, the length is similar.