List of models at CEN
ARTS – The Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator is a tool for estimating radiative climate forcing and for satellite remote sensing. It computes precise thermal radiation fluxes “line-by-line", serving as a reference for faster radiation schemes in climate and weather models, and can simulate what various satellite sensors would observe for a given state of the atmosphere. ARTS is well-validated and appreciated by a broad international community for its flexibility and general applicability. It is an open-source project and freely available. The core is developed and maintained by CEN scientists in close cooperation with scientists from Chalmers University, Göteborg, but many others have also contributed.
BARBI – This model simplifies the visualization of flow dynamics. In a layered (baroclinic) ocean, the vertically averaged equations of motion are used – so the ocean is examined from surface to ground as either a homogeneous whole or without layers (barotropic).
CPFLAME – This numerical circulation model is intended for specific educational purposes. As such, it does not simulate real processes; instead, it uses idealized model cycles to illustrate fundamental processes at work in the ocean, such as typical large-scale ocean currents. Additionally, it includes a number of classic sample cycles available on demand.
ERSEM und ECOHAM – The University of Hamburg’s Institute of Oceanography has developed tailor-made models for different purposes and levels of complexity – specially adapted e.g. for regions like the North Sea or North Atlantic. Different variants of the ERSEM and ECOHAM models simulate the dynamics of phytoplankton, marine production cycles and the coupling of pelagic and benthic ecosystems.
HABITAT is a mathematical optimization model from the field of systematic natural conservation planning. The model can be used to evaluate current conservation systems, or to determine the status and costs of potential expansion areas.
HAMSOM – The basis of the model was co-developed by the Hamburg-based researchers Jan Backhaus and Ernst Meier-Reimer as early as the mid-1980s. HAMSOM can model dynamics, whether in the ocean or in coastal or continental shelf regions, and can also be coupled with ecosystem models like ECOHAM and ERSEM or atmospheric models like REMO. As a result, HAMSOM has since enjoyed two decades of success, in Hamburg and over thirty further institutes around the globe.
MECTM – Developed at the Meteorological Institute, the mesoscale chemical transport model MECTM complements the METRAS model by adding chemical parameters. This allows researchers to e.g. calculate both the concentrations of pollutants in the air and the deposits they leave at ground level for various contexts, including industry or road transport.
METRAS – A transport and fluid model of the atmosphere, equally well suited to calculating wind, temperature, humidity and precipitation in orographically structured terrain as to simulating e.g. the distribution and deposits of pollen. As a three-dimensional, non-hydrostatic model for intermediate scales (areas ranging from 10 km3 to 2500 km3), it is compatible with partial surface cover, making it a viable choice for heterogeneous surfaces.
METRAS-PCL – This is the user-friendly version of METRAS for Linux and is primarily used for environmental audits.
MICTM – This microscale chemical transport model, created by the Meteorological Institute, complements MITRAS with the addition of chemical parameters. This allows concentrations of pollutants in the air and the deposits they leave in the soil to be calculated, e.g. for entire forests or individual streets.
MITRAS – This model, based on METRAS, makes it possible to create highly detailed simulations where individual buildings and vegetation can be recognized. With grid sizes down to just a few meters, it is especially well suited to research on flow fields and temperature fields in urban contexts, or to the influence of other obstacles (e.g. woods or wind turbines).
PlaSim – the Planet Simulator, is an atmospheric circulation model of intermediate complexity (MIC). It is developed at the Meteorological Institute of the University of Hamburg and designed for flexibility and speed. Problem dependent model configuration and high portability allow a wide range of simulations from interactive controlled simulations on PCs to long simulations on parallel computers. The source code is well documented and open source. A graphical two-way user interface as well as a postprocessor are included.
PUMA – the Portable University Model of the Atmosphere, is an atmospheric circulation model developed at the Meteorological Institute of the University of Hamburg. It consists of a dynamical core based on the Primitive Equations with simple parametrisations for friction and diabatic heating (Rayleigh friction, Newtonian cooling). Compared to a full AGCM the code is easy to understand and to modify. This makes PUMA also become an excellent tool to train junior scientists.
SAGA - The System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses is a modular, programmable Geographic Information System (GIS) developed by Jürgen Böhner’s and Olaf Conrad’s team at the Institute of Geography and intended for the analysis of geodata, as well as for applications in regional climate and process modeling. There are currently more than 300,000 system users worldwide.
SPFLAME – This model is based on the well-established global ocean model MOM. The programming code it uses is “small and portable,” serving as the basis for a range of interconnected projects on numerical ocean modeling called FLAME (Family of Linked Atlantic Model Experiments).
WRF – The “Weather Research and Forecasting” model is a non-hydrostatic regional climate model used in the dynamic modeling of weather and climate. The WRF supports simulations with both real measured data and under idealized atmospheric conditions.
ZOM – This model, developed in Hamburg by Nils Brüggemann and colleagues, simulates zonally averaged transport in an idealized ocean. As such, it can offer e.g. simple visualizations of the meridional overturning circulation.