With the growing interest in high-resolution model simulations, the Department of Energy Climate and Environmental Sciences Division is hosting a series of workshops to focus on key scientific needs, gaps, and priorities in process model understanding and climate model prediction through the strategic deployment and operation of routine high-resolution modeling at the future “megasites” at the North Slope of Alaska (NSA) and Southern Great Plains (SGP) for the ARM Climate Research Facility.

Held in May 2014, the first workshop focused on the SGP megasite. Discussion at this workshop identified several scientific priorities for enhancing the outcomes of running routine large-eddy simulation (LES) simulations as outlined in the report:

• Carry out a pilot study in which the issues raised during the workshop can be examined in more detail and a viable modeling strategy can be developed;
• Focus initially on routine LES of shallow convection;
• Pursue single-column modeling (SCM) in parallel with LES, using methodologies developed to address parameterization deficiencies in climate models;
• Pursue LES of deep convection over large domains and initially apply periodic boundary conditions, but develop methodologies for nested domains;
• Establish protocols for initial and boundary conditions for both shallow and deep convection using LES, recognizing issues such as spatial variability in temperature, moisture, surface fluxes, advective tendencies, upstream conditions, etc.;
• Support LES through measurement enhancements of land-atmosphere interactions, cloud and aerosol properties, and radiative fluxes, as well as by continuing the routine measurements of carbon profiles and fluxes;
• Ensure the modeling effort is supported by an active research program that maximizes the benefit of the enhanced measurement and regular modeling activities.

Participants at the SGP workshop sponsored by DOE’s ARM Facility and Atmospheric System Research program managers were selected to represent a broad range of interests including observations and modeling, high- and low-resolution modeling, as well as clouds, aerosols, radiation, and land-atmosphere interactions. The workshop, and a pre-workshop survey, focused on ways the newly configured ARM megasites could be used to address the science questions submitted by ARM Facility users in whitepapers.

A second workshop for the NSA megasite was held in September 2014—the report is currently being drafted. The third, and final, workshop will be focused on the ARM Aerial Facility.

The full report is available on the DOE Biological and Environmental Research News & Resources web page.