WRF Feature, Capabilities, Infrastructure Testing

For the release, a number of existing capability options in the WRF code need to be explicitly tested to insure the continued correct working of the model for users.  Among these options tested are:
       adaptive time step
       analysis nudging
       observational nudging
       DFI
       program NDOWN
       program OBSGRID
       sst update

While the testing of some of the new physics options is done for 28 48-h time periods, all of the new physics options are run through a couple of canned cases, and verified with subjective analysis.  The level of success is easier to achieve, generally producing a complete forecast that gives reasonable results.  The specific new addition to the model (lightning, aerosols, ocean) is scrutinized much more closely.  An important consideration for this level of testing is the interworking of schemes, from source-code incompatibility to the consequences of unphysical results.  Testing for these new features includes:
       aerosols
       CLM
       Grell Freitas cumulus
       Grenier Bretherton PBL
       GRIMS shallow cumulus scheme
       lightning options 1, 2, 11
       University of Miami 3d ocean model
       Morrison Gettleman microphysics
       NoahMP land surface
       NSSL microphysics options 19, 21
       NWP diagnostics
       ozone options 0, 2
       sea ice
       SKEBS (backscatter scheme)
       topo_wind option 2
       trajectories
       vertical profile output

In addition to modifications to the WRF code directly, the land surface community has been  working to augment the available source for higher-resolution input data.  These data sets are now available through the WPS system (specifically the static data for geogrid).  Some of these data sets are restricted in geographical coverage (such as NLCD to North America) and some are designed for specific urban regional areas (NUDAPT-44).
       MODIS FPAR vegetation fraction
       NLCD
       NUDAPT-44
       Clay fraction

For each of the above tests (types of land data, various physics options, feature upgrades, previous capability re-assurances), a fixed set of permutations were conducted:
       single domain case
       nested case, one-way-nest, and nest-starts-later cases 
       restart run
       compared output from original run to restart run to ensure they were identical

As part of the assurance that the WRF code is not suffering from accidental side-effects, all of the idealized cases have been run, comparing the previous release and the current WRF 3.5 release.  The cases all build, run, and produce similar results.  As some of the cases use physics schemes that have been upgraded, it is not really possible to get identical results in most of these tests. This portion of the testing handles all of the lateral boundary condition options in WRF, and exercises many of the dynamics switches.

The feature testing was conducted on a combination of Linux and Darwin platforms.  The Darwin machine was with single processor GNU v4.4.0.  The Linux machine tests were all run with MPI for both Intel V12.1.5 and PGI 12.5. 


Things that do not work:
       NSSL option 19 does not give bit for bit output when running a restart with a nest
       NSSL option 21 same as above
       SKEBS does not have a restart capability at this time
       new geography data with RUC input
       new geography data with noahmp
       new geography data with CLM