the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
| 24 Jun 2026
A mountain-generated mesoscale test case from DCMIP-2025: Gap flow and vortex shedding variants
Abstract. DCMIP-2025, the fourth instance of the Dynamical Core Model Intercomparison Project (DCMIP), introduced new test cases for the evaluation of dynamical cores for atmospheric General Circulation Models. This paper overviews one of these test cases focused on mesoscale dynamics generated by mountain orography, using simple initial conditions and varying surface profiles to produce nonlinear flows. This work investigates two orographies: a mountain chain that instigates a gap flow, and an isolated mountain which generates vortex shedding. These tests are used to compare four state-of-the-art dynamical cores: CAM-SE (spectral element), CAM-FV3 (finite volume cubed-sphere), and CAM-MPAS (Model for Prediction Across Scales) from NCAR's Community Atmosphere Model (CAM), along with GungHo, the dynamical core from the UK Met Office's new LFRic model. Simulation comparisons highlight the impact of model features such as the mesh and sources of numerical diffusion. This test, with its two variants, adds to the existing suite of cases that enable the rigorous examination and comparison of dynamical cores.
- Preprint
(3174 KB) - Metadata XML
- BibTeX
- EndNote
Status: open (until 19 Aug 2026)
-
CEC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2026-2293', Juan Antonio Añel, 27 Jun 2026
reply
-
AC1: 'Reply on CEC1', Timothy Andrews, 30 Jun 2026
reply
Thank you for your comment. The previous zenodo reository for this paper (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19696242) has now been updated to include all the information that was stored in the github respository. This includes adding all the jupyter notebooks used to make the figures, and all the data needed to replicate the figures. The updated zenodo repository has been given a new identifier (10.5281/zenodo.21034580) and can also be accessed via the url https://zenodo.org/records/21034580.Â
In a future draft of this manuscript, the sentence pointing to the GitHub respository in the Code and data availability section can be removed and the zenodo DOI can be updated.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2293-AC1 -
CEC2: 'Reply on AC1', Juan Antonio Añel, 30 Jun 2026
reply
Dear authors,
Many thanks for your reply. However, I have checked the repository that you provide, and it does not seem to contain the full CAM code used for your work, but simply a few routines. Please, provide a full copy of all the code used in your work.
Juan A. Añel
Geosci. Model Dev. Executive EditorCitation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2293-CEC2 -
AC2: 'Reply on CEC2', Timothy Andrews, 30 Jun 2026
reply
I am not sure that there is a simple way I can add the CAM code to zenodo. CAM (the Community Atmosphere Model) is developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research and is a complex code that relies on other libraries. More details about this code and its structure can be read at https://ncar.github.io/CAM/users_guide/index.html. Importantly for this work, CAM uses external routines from the FV3 and MPAS dynamical cores. Hence, adding the CAM code would necessitate a copy of the FV3 (https://github.com/NOAA-GFDL/GFDL_atmos_cubed_sphere) and MPAS (https://github.com/MPAS-Dev/MPAS-Model) dynamical core repositories, as well as any additional libraries that these codes link to.Â
I have tried to look for examples of using CAM or similar code bases in previous GMD papers, and the closest instance I can find is 'A mountain-induced moist baroclinic wave test case for the dynamical cores of atmospheric general circulation models', Hughes and Jablonowski (2023). The zenodo respository for this paper (https://zenodo.org/records/8327365)Â does not have a copy of the CAM code, but instead provides instructions for running the test with this code base, along with data and plotting scripts.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2293-AC2 -
CEC3: 'Reply on AC2', Juan Antonio Añel, 01 Jul 2026
reply
Dear authors,
Full versions of CAM and CESM have been published with many GMD papers in the past. You can store a full copy of the version you have used and all the components necessary in a repository without any kind of legal limitation, as it is released under a Public Domain license. Therefore, please, address the situation and publish all the code used for your work in a repository acceptable according to the policy of the journal as requested.
Juan A. Añel
Geosci. Model Dev. Executive Editor
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2293-CEC3 -
AC3: 'Reply on CEC3', Timothy Andrews, 02 Jul 2026
reply
The zenodo repository has been updated to version 3 (now https://zenodo.org/records/21135692). It now contains a clone of the CAM code used in this work, and includes necessary external libraries (including the FV3 and MPAS dynamical cores).Â
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2293-AC3 -
CEC4: 'Reply on AC3', Juan Antonio Añel, 02 Jul 2026
reply
Dear authors,
Many thanks for your reply. I have checked the repository, and we can consider now the current version of your manuscript in compliance with the policy of the journal.
Juan A. Añel
Geosci. Model Dev. Executive Editor
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2293-CEC4
-
CEC4: 'Reply on AC3', Juan Antonio Añel, 02 Jul 2026
reply
-
AC3: 'Reply on CEC3', Timothy Andrews, 02 Jul 2026
reply
-
CEC3: 'Reply on AC2', Juan Antonio Añel, 01 Jul 2026
reply
-
AC2: 'Reply on CEC2', Timothy Andrews, 30 Jun 2026
reply
-
CEC2: 'Reply on AC1', Juan Antonio Añel, 30 Jun 2026
reply
-
AC1: 'Reply on CEC1', Timothy Andrews, 30 Jun 2026
reply
Viewed
| HTML | XML | Total | BibTeX | EndNote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
- HTML: 8
- PDF: 4
- XML: 2
- Total: 14
- BibTeX: 0
- EndNote: 1
Viewed (geographical distribution)
| Country | # | Views | % |
|---|
| Total: | 0 |
| HTML: | 0 |
| PDF: | 0 |
| XML: | 0 |
- 1
Dear authors,
Unfortunately, after checking your manuscript, it has come to our attention that it does not comply with our "Code and Data Policy".
https://www.geoscientific-model-development.net/policies/code_and_data_policy.html
You have archived several assets necessary to replicate your work in GitHub. However, GitHub is not a suitable repository for scientific publication. GitHub itself instructs authors to use other long-term archival and publishing alternatives, such as Zenodo.
The GMD review and publication process depends on ensuring the provenance of replicability of the published papers for years after their publication. Please, therefore, publish your code and data in one of the appropriate repositories and reply to this comment with the relevant information (link and a permanent identifier for it (e.g. DOI)) as soon as possible. We cannot have manuscripts under discussion that do not comply with our policy. Â
Later, if the Topical Editor decides to continue with the review or publication process of your manuscript and you are requested to upload a new version of it, then The 'Code and Data Availability’ section of your manuscript must also be modified to cite the new repository locations, and corresponding references added to the bibliography.Â
I must note that if you do not fix this problem, we cannot continue with the peer-review process or accept your manuscript for publication in GMD.
Juan A. Añel
Geosci. Model Dev. Executive Editor