8. Glossary

CCPP

Model agnostic, vetted, collection of codes containing atmospheric physical parameterizations and suites for use in NWP along with a framework that connects the physics to host models

CCPP-Framework

The infrastructure that connects physics schemes with a host model; also refers to a software repository of the same name

CCPP-Physics

The pool of CCPP-compliant physics schemes; also refers to a software repository of the same name

FMS

The Flexible Modeling System (FMS) is a software framework for supporting the efficient development, construction, execution, and scientific interpretation of atmospheric, oceanic, and climate system models.

NEMS

The NOAA Environmental Modeling System - a software infrastructure that supports NCEP/EMC’s forecast products.

NUOPC

The National Unified Operational Prediction Capability is a consortium of Navy, NOAA, and Air Force modelers and their research partners. It aims to advance the weather modeling systems used by meteorologists, mission planners, and decision makers. NUOPC partners are working toward a common model architecture - a standard way of building models - in order to make it easier to collaboratively build modeling systems.

Parameterization or physics scheme

The representation, in a dynamic model, of physical effects in terms of admittedly oversimplified parameters, rather than realistically requiring such effects to be consequences of the dynamics of the system (AMS Glossary)

Suite Definition File (SDF)

An external file containing information about the construction of a physics suite. It describes the schemes that are called, in which order they are called, whether they are subcycled, and whether they are assembled into groups to be called together

Suite

A collection of primary physics schemes and interstitial schemes that are known to work well together

UFS

A Unified Forecast System (UFS) is a community-based, coupled comprehensive Earth system modeling system. The UFS numerical applications span local to global domains and predictive time scales from sub-hourly analyses to seasonal predictions. It is designed to support the Weather Enterprise and to be the source system for NOAA’s operational numerical weather prediction applications

Weather Model

A prognostic model that can be used for short- and medium-range research and operational forecasts. It can be an atmosphere-only model or be an atmospheric model coupled with one or more additional components, such as a wave or ocean model.