GCM-Prototypes

The Unified Forecast System (UFS) Global Coupled Model (GCM) Prototypes 5 through 8 (p5-p8) are the four most recent experimental versions of the UFS Global Coupled Model. The code for each version is frozen and available on GitHub (p5, p6, p7, p8). These experimental versions represent a significant intermediate stage in the ongoing development of the next release of the UFS medium-range weather (MRW) and seasonal to sub-seasonal (S2S) applications. More details of the model components and configuration are provided below. (Click each description  to expand)

Data format, variables for Ocean Component

Output Interval: 6-hourly (+Daily)
Grid Resolution: Tripolar, primarily at ¼ degree 1440x1080
File Format: netcdf

Directory Contents*
ocn_2D

Sea surface height, salinity, temperature, velocity, fluxes
Mixed layer depth

ocn_3D 3-D fields of potential temperature, salinity, velocity
ocn_daily SST, fluxes+

*List of key variables, files contain a number of other fields.

In collaboration with the NOAA Open Data Dissemination (NODD, formerly NOAA Big Data) Program, the GCM p5-8 data is now available on the AWS here.

Researchers interested in the global prediction and model development are invited to evaluate the UFS Global Coupled Model Prototype data. Analysis of the data may include, but is not limited to, process-based evaluations, diagnostic measures that reveal coupled feedback processes and forecast skill estimations. Interested researchers may also volunteer to communicate their findings to the UFS-R2O project team, see contact information below. Note that this is a voluntary opportunity to collaborate. No funding is associated with this announcement at this time.

Requirements for Data usage

Users of UFS GCM Prototype data are requested to acknowledge the data source and sponsoring agencies that support the UFS-R2O project. In publications, it is recommended to include a text similar to the one below, in the acknowledgement section.

“The Unified Forecast System (UFS) Global Coupled Model (GCM) experimental prototypes  data used in this study are produced at the National Weather Service Environmental Modeling Center, NWS/NCEP/Environmental Modeling center (EMC), and made available through the UFS Research to Operations (UFS-R2O) project that is sponsored by the National Weather Service (NWS) Office of Science and Technology Integration (OSTI) Modeling Program Division and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Weather Program Office (WPO).”
 

Disclaimer

Users are cautioned the data was made with an intermediate version of the UFS that is still under vigorous development and evaluation, see NWS disclaimer for additional details.

Acknowledgment
Special thanks to the UFS-R2O Coupled System team at NWS/NCEP/EMC, led by Avichal Mehra and Fanglin Yang, for producing and providing the GCM data along with the information on this page.

For additional information about the GCM prototype data set, please contact the UFS-R2O project engineers at ufs-r2o-engineers@noaa.gov
For inquiries on how to engage with the UFS-R2O project in general, please contact the project leads at ufs-r2o-leads@noaa.gov