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Mesoscale Modeling & Dynamics Group

 

Welcome to the Mesoscale Dynamics & Modeling Group. Our mission is to conduct research to understand the physics and dynamics of atmospheric processes through the use of computer-based simulations and various observations, including satellite remote sensing, aircraft and surface-based in-situ observations. Development of advanced computer-based storm simulations and regional/global weather/climate simulations is a primal focus. Key areas of investigation are cloud and precipitation systems from the scale of individual clouds and thunderstorms through mesoscale convective systems and cyclonic storms, and up to the scale of the impact of these systems on regional and global climate. The processes of the interaction of the cloud-precipitation processes with aerosols, large-scale forcing, and land/ocean-surface processes are also of high priority. We also support the NASA-JAXA Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. 

 

We have been developing and improving the four different modeling systems at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. These modeling systems essentially share physics modules, and the entire system is denoted as the Multi-Scale Modeling System with Unified Physics (Tao et al. 2009, Ann. Geophys., which include  The Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) modelThe NASA Multi-Scale Modeling Framework (MMF),  The NASA-Unified Weather Research and Forecasting (NU-WRF) model, and The Goddard Satellite Data Simulator Unit (G-SDSU). These modeling system essentially share same physics codes.