Collaborative Research: Development and Applications of GEOS-Chem Atmospheric Chemistry in CESM and MUSICA

The objective of this project is to further the development of the GEOS-Chem atmospheric chemistry capability within the NCAR Community Earth System Model (CESM). The modularization of GEOS-Chem components will enable these components to be deployed in a variety of different models. This project is expected to contribute to a better understanding of atmospheric chemistry in the climate system and to improve air quality predictions within the context of climate change. The three objectives of this project are to: (1) implement modular GEOS-Chem components into the Multi-Scale Infrastructure for Chemistry and Aerosols (MUSICA) model, including the: (a) photolysis frequency calculations, (b) chemical mechanism including the adaptive mechanism autoreduction, and (c) wet deposition module; (2) apply the GEOS-Chem capability within CESM to better understand ozone air quality over East Asia and its connection to background tropospheric ozone; and (3) apply the GEOS-Chem capability within CESM to better understand aviation’s effects on tropospheric ozone. This project will enable the GEOS-Chem modeling community, including hundreds of research groups worldwide and more than fifty US university groups, to engage more effectively with the CESM modeling efforts at NCAR. The project will support graduate students at both Harvard and MIT. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.