Fire Scheme in CLM-FATES

[KumarR]

Dear CESM users,

I am currently using the FATES compset (e.g., I2000Clm50Fates) to run the CLM-FATES model, but I’m a bit confused about which fire scheme is actually being used in the simulation. From what I understand:

• FATES utilizes the SPITFIRE fire scheme.
• CLM5, on the other hand, uses the fire scheme described by Li et al. (2012).

Since these two fire schemes are substantially different, I’m unsure which one is being implemented when using the FATES compset. Could someone clarify which fire scheme is used in CLM-FATES simulations and whether there is any interaction between the two?

Thank you!
Kumar

 

[slevis]

@KumarR by looking in the code I determined that FATES uses the SPITFIRE scheme without interacting with the Li fire model.

 

[KumarR]

@slevis Thank you for the clarification. From my understanding, the fire duration in FATES is set to 240 minutes, while in CLM it is one day. Could you please explain how both CLM and FATES interact when using CLM-FATES for global simulations? Specifically, how do the different time scales for fire duration in both models interact and influence the simulation outcomes?

Thanks,
Kumar