ReleaseNotes

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Announcing the release of MCIP Version 5.3.3 (30 June 2021)
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The MCIP code is updated to version 5.3.3.  This is a minor update to MCIP.
These release notes and the CHANGES file reflect all changes that have been
made to MCIP since MCIPv5.1 (the previous release).  Changes to MCIPv5.3.3
were made by Tanya Spero (U.S. EPA).

With this release, the version numbering for MCIP is changed to align with
CMAQ to minimize confusion within the user community. Accordingly, there are
no releases that are labeled MCIPv5.2, MCIPv5.3, MCIPv5.3.1, or MCIPv5.3.2.

MCIPv5.3.3 accompanies CMAQv5.3.3.  If you are using CMAQv5.3+, you must
upgrade to use MCIPv5.0+.

MCIPv5.3.3 requires I/O API version 3.1 or greater to support error-checking
within the I/O API.

MCIPv5.3.3 requires the netCDF F90 module (rather than the F77 include).


MCIP can be cited with the following reference:

  Otte, T. L., and J. E. Pleim, 2010.  The Meteorology-Chemistry Interface
     Processor (MCIP) for the CMAQ modeling system: updates through
     MCIPv3.4.1.  Geoscientific Model Development, 3, 243-256.

A DOI will also be available for CMAQv5.3.3 (which includes MCIPv5.3.3).


Background on MCIP and other useful information about the CMAQ system can be
found online at http://www.epa.gov/cmaq.

Inquiries related to potential bugs in MCIPv5.3.3 or questions related to
proper use of the code should be submitted to the MCIP Category in the
Forum hosted by the CMAS Center:  https://forum.cmascenter.org/c/mcip.

Users are encouraged to read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) file.
Users should consult the FAQ and other issues raised within the Forum
before submitting new inquiries.



MCIPv5.3.3 was tested with the following Fortran compilers under both debug
and optimized options (as shown in the Makefile):

  Intel 19.0.5, netCDF 4.7.4, I/O API 3.2 (downloaded 11 October 2018)

  PGI 19.10, netCDF 4.7.4, I/O API 3.2 (downloaded 28 August 2020)

  GCC 6.1.0, netCDF 4.6.3, I/O API 3.2 (downloaded 11 October 2018)



With MCIPv5.3.3, the following remain deprecated:
  - Including "SOIM1", "SOIM2", "SOIT1", and "SOIT2" in METCRO2D.
    Those fields are now in a separate file that includes all soil layers and
    their associated depths (SOI_CRO).
  - Including "LUFRAC_xx" in GRIDCRO2D.  Those fields are now in a separate
    file that includes each fractional land use classification (LUFRAC_CRO).

With MCIPv5.3.3, the following output variables in METCRO2D remain deprecated:
     - 2-D cloud fraction (CFRAC)
     - cloud top (CLDT)
     - cloud bottom (CLDB)
     - liquid water content (WBAR)
They will be removed from METCRO2D in a forthcoming release of MCIP.


Interactions with members of the CMAQ user community led to some of the changes
that have been incorporated into MCIPv5.3.3.


The following is a summary of the changes in MCIPv5.3.3:

 1.  Removed reliance on reading F (Coriolis parameter) from WRF output for
     PV scaling in CMAQ. Instead, calculate F within MCIP from latitude.

 2.  Corrected an error in logic for processing meteorology data at a time
     interval that is coarser than the available data in the file.

 3.  Updated description and units for potential vorticity to adhere to
     constraints on character field in I/O API. Note that units do not
     conform to MKS, but full explanation is given in the description field.

 4.  Corrected minor bug in assigning bounds for XCLAY_PX, as identied in
     CMAS Center Forum.

 5.  Correct write statement for MCIP-generated GRIDDESC so that it can
     accommodate modeling domains with more than 999 grid cells on a side.

 6.  Versioning for MCIP is changed to align with CMAQ.