The OASIS3 coupler: a European climate modelling community software

• Published in: Geoscientific Model Development Vol. 6; no. 2; pp. 373 - 388
• Main Author: Valcke, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 14-03-2013; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Climate; Climate models; Communities; Computer programs; Joining; Mathematical models; Software
• ISSN: 1991-9603; 1991-959X; 1991-962X; 1991-9603; 1991-962X; 1991-959X
• DOI: 10.5194/gmd-6-373-2013

This paper presents the OASIS3 coupling software used in five of the seven European Earth System Models (ESMs) participating to the Fifth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). A short history of the coupler development is followed by a technical description of OASIS3. The performances of a few relatively high resolution models coupled with OASIS3 are then described. It is shown that, although its limited field-per-field parallelism will eventually become a bottleneck in the simulation, OASIS3 can still be considered an appropriate tool for most of these relatively demanding coupled configurations. Its successful use in different CMIP5 ESMs is then detailed. A discussion of the benefits and drawbacks of the OASIS3's approach and a presentation of planned developments conclude the paper.