April 26, 2024
Journal Article

GeneralIzed Aerosol/chemistry iNTerface (GIANT): A community effort to advance collaborative science across weather and climate models

Abstract

Atmospheric aerosol and chemistry modules are key elements in Earth system models (ESMs), as they predict air pollutants concentrations and properties that can impact human health, weather and climate. The current uncertainty in climate projections is largely due to the inaccurate representation of aerosol direct and indirect forcing. Aerosol/chemistry parameterizations used within ESMs and other atmospheric models span large structural and parameter uncertainties which are difficult to assess independently of their host models. Moreover, there is a strong need for a standardized interface between aerosol/chemistry modules and the host model to facilitate portability of aerosol/chemistry parameterizations from one model to another, allowing not only a comparison between different parameterizations within the same modeling framework, but also quantifying the impact of different model frameworks on aerosol/chemistry predictions. To address this need, we have initiated a new community effort to coordinate the construction of a GeneralIzed Aerosol/chemistry iNTerface (GIANT) for use across weather and climate models. We aim to organize a series of community workshops and Hack-a-thons to build GIANT which will serve as the interface between a range of aerosol/chemistry parameterizations and the physics and dynamics components of atmospheric host models. GIANT will leverage ongoing efforts at the U.S. modeling centers focused on building next-generation ESMs and the international AeroCom initiative to implement this common aerosol/chemistry interface. GIANT will create transformative opportunities for scientists and students to conduct innovative research to better characterize structural and parameter uncertainties in aerosol/chemistry modules, and to develop a common set of aerosol/chemistry parameterizations.

Published: April 26, 2024

Citation

Hodzic A., N.M. Mahowald, M.L. Dawson, J.A. Johnson, L. Bernardet, P.A. Bosler, and J.D. Fast, et al. 2023. GeneralIzed Aerosol/chemistry iNTerface (GIANT): A community effort to advance collaborative science across weather and climate models. Bulletin of American Meteorological Society 104, no. 11:E2065–E2080. PNNL-SA-190787. doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-23-0013.1