running CAM4 with prescribed SSTs

[swenson]

Hello,
I can successfully run CAM4 with default 1x1 climatological SSTs on bluefire (CCSM4 in F_2000 mode at 1.9x2.5_gx1v6 resolution). Now I am trying to run with SSTs from another dataset (e.g., AMIP-style).

I've set DOCN_SSTDATA_FILENAME to my SST file name. I've also set DOCN_SSTDATA_YEAR_START and DOCN_SSTDATA_YEAR_END to be consistent with that in the file. The format of my SST file is equivalent to the climatological file. Still, the model fails when initializing - cpl.log ends with the following:

(seq_mct_drv) : Initialize ocn component

I'd really appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.

 

[swenson]

To be more clear, according to the ocn.log, the model stops when reading reading the SST file, so I figure there must be a problem with the file itself. What I first did was simply take the default climatological file (hurrel_sst_ifrac.1x1.050606.nc) and modify it so that the time/date was consistent and had a 365_day calendar.

 

[eaton]

One characteristic of the CAM standalone configuration is that all the components use the same grid, in particular, they all use the atm grid. The F compsets are the methodology for running CAM standalone using the CCSM scripts. I was not aware that the F compsets allowed you to run the ocn/ice components on the gx1v6 grid, although your message implies you were successful doing that. But in looking at the compset that is set up for an AMIP run, i.e., F_AMIP, it appears that those compsets do restrict all components to run on the atm grid. The only grids that appear to be supported are f09_f09 and f19_f19. So my only suggestion would be to try using the F_AMIP compset.

 

[swenson]

Thanks a lot! I tried f19_f19 and it appears to run just fine now.

Originally I tried to run at f19_g16 because the resources I find online for CCSM4 in stand-alone mode seem to indicate that the only scientifically validated configurations use the g16 (gx1v6) docn grid - consistent with the comments after create_case. Maybe this was updated and I missed it. Nevertheless, I really appreciate you help.