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2014WP/2014_SystemSimplification_v2 – NEMO
wiki:2014WP/2014_SystemSimplification_v2

Version 3 (modified by gm, 10 years ago) (diff)

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Note on system simplification

Motivation:

We need to simplify the code for maintenance, robustness and future evolution (change in time stepping, …etc). This means fewer options, and a consensus on the default (and thus well validated) set of numerics. The idea is to change the current most used choices from :

linear filtered free surface zps ocean with TVD, "Madec" iso-neutral diffusion, and standard equation of state ; levitating sea-ice with virtual salt fluxes

possibly to :

Non linear (vvl), split-explicit (ts) free surface, mixte zps/s-coordinate ocean with 3rd order advection (UBS with rotation of the diffusive part along iso-neutral surfaces), "Griffies" iso-neutral diffusion ; embedded multi-category sea-ice (exact fluxes).

And this with a removing of obsolescent features and a cleaning of the code.

Timing: achievement within 2 years from now for NEMO v4.0 (to be ready for CMIP6, and on time for the foreseen evolution of the time stepping)

Notations:

* core action (supported by all system team)

- desired, but subject to discussion

? feasible but all conditions required are not yet met



CHANGE in options used by default

* non-linear free surface: by default (WP 2014)

* filtered free surface: remove it as well as all its associated solvers (if yes when? 2014?)

(required AGRIF with time-splitting, done in 2013) and deeply tested (WP 2014)

* vertical coordinate : default option mixte zps/s-tilde coordinate (thus with variable volume level), with mixte zps*/s*, mixte z/s, zps, z and s coordinate system as sub-option (same code used) (2014-2015 ?)

!- tracer solved as thickness weighted tracer: Dt(e3t T) (WP 2014)

!- thickness weighted quantities in the outputs (WP2014)

!- no more substitute (domzgr_substitute.h90): all e3 always defined at before, now and after time steps (partly done in 2013, achieved in 2014).  

!- adapte OFF line for tracer to variable volume (2015?) 

* linear ssh option set without optimization (i.e. starting from the non-linear case with minimal changes, not optimal changes), or linear case suppressed ?? We should probably keep a linear case for test cases. (2014-2015 ?)

* sea-ice : embedded sea-ice as default

!- suppress levitating sea ice with virtual salt fluxes. (2014 ?)

!- Suppress levitating sea ice with mass exchange (?)  CICE issue…

!- need land-fast ice (WP 2014)

!- need BDY compatibility with embedded sea-ice …. (who when?)

- tracer advection scheme: diminish their number (?).

!- Typically one module for 2nd/4th order and one for a 3rd order scheme, both associated with an optional flux limiter to ensure positivity. To be discussed

!- Addition of the rotation of the diffusive part of 3rd order scheme (2015 ?)

- vertical physics:  simplification versus diversity

!- keep only one (GLS) ? or maintain some diversity? 

!- KPP remove unless if-less KPP is implemented (Lemarié et al 2012). Keeping a validated KPP scheme in the system make sense for comparison purposes. 

!- suppress or keep the explicit vertical diffusion


OBSOLESCENT features

mains:

* remove LIM2 : only LIM3 remains in the system (planed 2014)

* remove OBC : only BDY remains in the system (planed 2013, early 2014)

* remove OASIS 3 and 4 :  OASIS-MCT (planed 2014)

- duplicate isoneutral operator: keep only the Griffies' one (tests needed before decision, tests planed in 2014 NOCS+LOCEAN) 


smaller ones

- Non-penetrative convection : correct it (using alpha & beta) (L. Brodeau, Stockholm)

* remove acceleration of convergence (notably rdttra=F(k) ==> unique rdt)

* remove Neptune effect : ORCA1 runs shows its inefficiency (WP 2014).

- Smagorinsky (?) : use 3rd order operator (UBS) instead and remove it ?


I/O 

- remove Dimg format (?) (agreement needed from DRAKKAR group) 

? remove IOIPSL : 2 issues, still use in some places, and XIOs portability… (probably much too early to decide that)

* • use of XIOS logical to control the computation of diagnostics (2014-2015, who?)



CODE cleaning

* OBS operator : clean the stand-alone implementation (WP 2014)

* suppress most of the CPP keys, if not all of them (2015 ?)

* dynamical allocation: return back to standard allocation (?) (no more CALL wrk_alloc and CALL wrk_dealloc)  Evaluation to decided what to do (WP 2014)

* no more potential density (zdfnpc and MLD computed from alpha & beta) (WP 2014)

* remove all hard coded specific alterations associated with configurations (ORCA,…) while introducing associated input files (2014-2015 ?)

* same for the definition of coordinate system (s, mixed z-s): only a simple case hard coded. For more sophisticated cases, the required information should be read in an input file. (2015 ?)

* avm defined at t-point ==> suppress avmu, avmv and ~10 lbc_lnk calls (2015 ?)

* LDF: remove 1D and 2D cases, keep only 3D ; laplacian and bilaplacian coefficients defined at the same points (T and F) ;  time varying coefficients (Smagorinsky, function of growth rate of baroclinic instabilities): better integration rather than configuration dependent cases (on going work, 2015 ?)