Connecting a Broad Community to Earth System Digital Twin Technologies at the Interface of Atmospheric Composition with the Earth System

Atmospheric chemistry models are essential components in the representation of the Earth system through Earth System Digital Twins (ESDTs) to interpret observations and enable predictions for a range of scientific investigations at the interface of atmospheric composition with the Earth system. These models must operate not only online as components of Earth system models (ESMs) but also offline, using meteorological data as input, because the user community relies on the more easily accessible offline version for model development and applications. The GEOS-Chem global 3-D model of atmospheric composition, developed and managed with NASA support, is used offline by hundreds of research groups worldwide with meteorological fields from the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS), and the exact same model also operates online as a chemical module within the GEOS ESM at the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO). Through partnership with GMAO and with support from AIST, we have recently developed a high-performance configuration of GEOS-Chem (GCHP) to enable the atmospheric chemistry community to conduct global simulations of stratosphere-troposphere oxidant-aerosol chemistry including aerosol microphysics at up to cubed-sphere C720 (~12 km). Interactive regional simulations at even finer scales (order 1 km) are available through WRF-GC which couples the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) meteorological model with GEOS-Chem. We have also developed the Integrated Methane Inversion (IMI) as a cloud-based tool built on GEOS-Chem enabling stakeholders to infer carbon fluxes by inversion of satellite methane and CO2 data. Here we solicit support from AIST to connect the Earth science community to ESDT technologies at the interface of atmospheric composition with the Earth system to enable seamless integration of cloud- and high-end computing into what-if investigations, to accelerate and advance multi-scale capabilities, to expand multi-discipline capabilities with dynamic atmospheric chemistry-aerosol microphysics-meteorology coupling, and to extend a community tool for inversion of greenhouse gas satellite data to GCHP. Specifically, we propose to: 1) Enable seamless integration of cloud- and high-end computing into GCHP what-if investigations by including NASA technologies for module coupling and data file formats, and extension to the Google Cloud. 2) Accelerate and advance multi-scale capabilities using the GCHP stretched grid accelerated with operational GEOS-CF chemical boundary conditions and advanced by a GEOS analysis at 3 km resolution over the TEMPO field-of-regard. 3) Expand multi-discipline, multi-scale capabilities through integration of GEOS-Chem chemistry and aerosol microphysics modules into the NASA-Unified WRF (NU-WRF) regional ESM and assimilation system for regional two-way coupling with clouds, precipitation, and land processes. 4) Enable use of GCHP for global high-resolution inversions of greenhouse gas satellite data with the IMI software tool. Our proposed work will promote scientific discovery by increasing accessibility and usability of climate and Earth science information, thus engaging more users of NASA data and research, and delivering more applied Earth science. It will support the new geostationary satellite constellation for air quality, including NASA TEMPO. It will enable investigation of numerous multi-discipline analytic concepts such as air quality and climate impacts due to fires; effects of climate change on atmospheric composition and in turn on human and ecosystem health; and effects of atmospheric composition on meteorology, climate, and solar power generation. It will increase the value of satellite data for stakeholders to quantify carbon fluxes. Our proposed developments address several priorities of NASA's Climate Strategy including 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, and 3.1.

Expand current definitions of modeling and leverage state-of-the-art computer and information science for innovating advanced modeling techniques as well as new technologies and frameworks that will be essential in the development of Earth System Digital Twins

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.