Describing Earth System Simulations with the Metafor CIM

• DOI: 10.5194/gmdd-5-1669-2012
• Publication Date: 2012-06-22T20:05:12Z
• Authors: B. N. Lawrence; V. Balaji; P. Bentley; S. Callaghan; C. DeLuca; S. Denvil; G. Devine; M. Elkington; R. W. Ford; E. Guilyardi; M. Lautenschlager; M. Morgan; M.-P. Moine; S. Murphy; C. Pascoe; H. Ramthun; P. Slavin; L. Steenman-Clark; F. Toussaint; A. Treshansky; S. Valcke
• Keywords: QE1-996.5; 550; [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-GEO-PH] Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph]; 0207 environmental engineering; 600; [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-GEO-PH]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph]; Geology; 02 engineering and technology; 01 natural sciences; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

Abstract. The Metafor project has developed a Common Information Model (CIM) using the ISO1900 series formalism to describe the sorts of numerical experiments carried out by the earth system modelling community, the models they use, and the simulations that result. Here we describe the mechanism by which the CIM was developed, and its key properties. We introduce the conceptual and application versions and the controlled vocabularies developed in the context of supporting the fifth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). We describe how the CIM has been used in experiments to describe model coupling properties and describe the near term expected evolution of the CIM.