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@pernak18 pernak18 released this 17 Mar 13:47
· 8 commits to master since this release
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March 5, 2020: Release_5_0

Added several new features and fixes:

  • Two new cloud overlap options were added, exponential (icld=4) and exponential-random (icld=5) that apply an exponential transition from maximum to random through model layers. Exponential applies this transition through all layers without regard to the cloud configuration and exponential-random applies this transition through adjacent cloudy layers while randomly correlating cloud layers separated by clear sky. Both methods require calling a new subroutine, get_alpha, to define alpha, the exponential transition parameter, prior to calling the McICA sub-column generator. Alpha requires the specification of a decorrelation length (in meters), and two methods for defining this value are available that are selected using a new input control variable, idcor, that allows the decorrelation length to be specified either as a constant or as a value that varies by latitude and day-of-year using the method of Oreopolous et al. (2012). See the file doc/rrtmg_sw_instructions.txt for more information.
  • The three NRLSSI2 solar source component coefficients (quiet sun, facular, and sunspot) added in v4.0 and updated in v4.1 were added to the optional netCDF input data file (/data/rrtmg_sw.nc), and the optional
    source module rrtmg_sw_read_nc.f90 was modified to input these data if the netCDF input option is selected in the makefile. These data function in the same way as the identical NRLSSI2 solar source coefficients that are stored in the code by default in module rrtmg_sw_k_g.f90.
  • A fix was applied to source module rrtmg_sw_read_nc.f90, which optionally reads the input data coefficients from data/rrtmg_sw.nc if that option is selected in the makefile, to correct the loading of the water vapor foreign continuum data for the upper atmosphere into the model array forrefo. This issue could impact surface downward shortwave fluxes by as much as five percent if the netCDF option was used. The default input coefficient data in rrtmg_sw_k_g.f90 were not affected.
  • Revised the calculation of zwo in rrtmg_sw_reftra.f90 to protect against unlikely, but possible divide by zero conditions.

Publicly released on AER RT web site in March 2020.