Software Tool Post-Processing software Coding Language Time Frequency The Gateway short name The Gateway long name Horizontal Grid The Computer Type false The observational platform type Platform Type Instrument Type The observational instrument type A high-level data gateway serving data from multiple distributed data archives. Resolution Type Physical Domain The physical domain of a dataset Analysis and Visualization software A generic scientific activity IPCC AR4 IPCC AR4 Experiment Topic A subject, theme, category, or general area of interest IPCC AR5 IPCC AR5 Experiment A repository of co-located data, possibly from multiple projects. Model Framework Model Component Parameter A specific combination of computing platform, chip and compiler The Computer Chip Contact The geographic location of a dataset Location Operating System Model Input Datasets External data files used by a model simulation. May include initial conditions, boundary conditions, or restart files. A text description of the grid that uses common terminology. Grid Type The specification of a grid used in a geoscience model. Grid Specification Simulation Status Indicates whether a simulation is completed, pending, proposed, or running. Physical quantities that are inherently conserved by the numerical tracer transport scheme. Tracer Conservation Type A campaign, such as a model intercomparison project, that may involve multiple groups and experiments. Project Conservation Fixer Any physical quantities that are formally conserved by the continuous equations of motion and restored to their initial value at periodic intervals. Author A collection of grid tiles. Grid Mosaic The software package or interface used to distribute data across processors on a parallel computing system. Parallelization Type Metadata contact The entity that funded a model component, simulation, or dataset. Funding Source The system that describes the vertical discretization of a geophysical model in terms of given point’s radial distance from the surface of the earth. Vertical Coordinate Equations of Motion The time dependent ordinary and partial differential equations that describe behavior of a geophysical system. They form the basis for the numerical discretization of a geoscience model. A previous simulation is a prequel in model time to the current simulation. The current simulation may be a direct decedent (e.g. same forcing) or may use the previous simulation as initial conditions with a change in present forcing. Previous Simulation Indicates the geometric figure used to approximate the shape of the Earth, e.g. "sphere". Geometry Type Compiler The brand of the software that takes source code and turns it into an executable. Agency An administrative unit of government. The scientist in charge of an experiment or research project. Principal Investigator A list of other simulations that comprise an ensemble. Ensemble Members Point of Contact The means by which a geoscience simulation is started. Initialization Method Hardware Type The type of computer system. (e.g. vector, parallel, cluster, etc.) Any physical quantities that are formally conserved by the continuous tracer transport equation and restored to their initial values. Tracer Conservation Fixer Tracer Time Stepping Part of the solver that moves the tracer transport equation forward in time. A solver is an algorithm that computes a numerical solution to a time-dependent ordinary or partial differential equation required by computer simulations of physical processes. Variables that are derived from other variables. Diagnostic Variable Variables that are directly calculated by the equations of motion. Prognostic Variable License Description of the license or conditions under which software is distributed. The algorithm used to solve the equations that represent the transport mechanism of a substance or a conserved property within a moving fluid. Advection Scheme Platform The brand name of a computer system. Processor The type of computer chip used in a particular computer platform. The software that is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of resources of a computer. Operating System Placement of model field data relative to the center point of a grid cell in the horizontal dimension. Horizontal Staggering The physical characteristics of the equations of motion that are conserved by the numerical discretization. Conservation Type The software package or mechanism used to transfer and transform data between model components. Connection Type Numerical Method The means by which continuous operators are represented on a finite set of points. In a scientific model, numerical methods are used to discretize the continuous equations of motion. Grid Tile A portion of a grid that is separately discretized. Data Center contact The variables transmitted from a component in a coupled modeling system. Export State Configuration Files The collection of files used to create a model simulation. May include scripts, name lists etc. Coding Language The computer language in which a unit of software is written. Specifies the method by which a two-dimensional coordinate system is sampled to form a computational grid. Descretization Type Projection Any projection used for the discretization of the equations of motion. For example, cubed-sphere grids can use gnomonic (equiangular) or gnomonic (equal-distance along cube edges). Also, planar projections used in some icosahedral grid models etc. Vertical Staggering Placement of model field data relative to the center point of a grid cell in the vertical dimension. The technology used to associate each node in a supercomputer with every other node. Interconnect Type A description of the geographic range being simulated in a particular activity. Physical Domain Experiment A controlled test or investigation with predefined parameters. This is a citation or pointer where further information may be found. Forcing The category of forcing used to drive a model component (e.g. wind, wave, volcanism). The category of forcing used to drive a model component (e.g. wind, wave, volcanism). Forcing Type Time Stepping Part of the solver that moves the solution of the continuous equations of motion forward in time. A solver is an algorithm that computes a numerical solution to a time-dependent ordinary or partial differential equation required by computer simulations of physical processes. The reference name or number of the ensemble to which a simulation belongs. Ensemble ID Model Component Framework The software package or mechanism used to transfer and transform data between model components. A subject, theme, category, or general area of interest. A text description of the grid that uses commonly used terminology, but may not in general be a sufficient description of the field. Grid The algorithm used to solve the equations that represent the transport mechanism of tracers within a moving fluid. Tracer Transport Calendar Type The type of calendar used in a simulation. The variables received from another component in a coupled modeling system. Import State Tracer Advection Scheme The algorithm used to solve the equations that represent the tracer transport mechanism of a substance or a conserved property within a moving fluid. Forcing Value The specific value or constant set for a particular forcing type. Forcing types may also be defined by entire fields. That information is captured in a component's list of input datasets. Name of the previous version of a model or model component. Previous Version Data Holder The person responsible for a dataset. Ensemble Identification The reference name or number of the ensemble to which a simulation belongs. Description of the distribution and/or access restrictions for a particular piece of software or dataset. Rights The order in which latitude and longitude appear within the two dimensional grid array. Dimension Order Year Released The year a model or model component was released. -180 <= east limit <= +180 East Limit Temporal Filter Any filters applied to the time-stepping method to remove spurious waves in the time-stepping method for tracers. Number of Cores per Processor The number of sub-divided elements or mini-chips on a computer chip. Specifies the length of the Y, or latitude, dimension of the grid tile. NY Simulation End Date The date in simulated time of the end of a model simulation. Experiment Start Date The date in simulated time of the start of a model experiment. Version A specific form or variation of an artifact (i.e. a unit of software or metadata). A posteriori dampening of waves on an entire gridded field at specified intervals. This is dampening not implemented in either Implicit or Explicit Diffusion. Explicit Spatial Filter -90 <= south limit <= +90 South Limit Release Year The year a model component was issued. A description of how time is descrrtized within an algorithm that computes a numerical solution to a time-dependent ordinary or partial differential equation required by computer simulations of physical processes. Temporal Approximation The name given to a computer by its system administrators. This is not the brand name of the system. Machine Name Tracer Spatial Approximation The estimate of the spatial portion of the tracer transport equation. A description of how time is descretized within the algorithm that computes the tracer transport solver. Tracer Temporal Approximation The estimate of the spatial portion of the continuous equations of motion. It is used simplify the overall solutions to those equations. Spatial Approximation Note A brief comment. The date in simulated time of the start of a model simulation. Simulation Start Date Implicit Diffusion Diffusion that typically dampens grid scale oscillations through the numerical method rather than through terms added to equations of motion (explicit diffusion). An organization associated with a model component, simulation, or dataset. Institution Indicates if the grid tile is angle-preserving. If so, angles measured on the grid are equal to the equivalent angles on the Earth. Is Conformal The name of a model, model component, simulation, experiment, or dataset with all acronyms spelled out. Full Name North Pole Location Defines the lat-long position of the 'north pole' used by the grid tile in the case of rotated/displaced pole grids. Reference A citation or pointer (e.g. URL) to a location where further information may be found. Time-step size in seconds used moving the solver forward. This will vary by horizontal resolution. Time Step Experiment End Date The date in simulated time of the end of a model experiment. Any filters applied to the time-stepping method to remove spurious waves in the time-stepping method for tracers. Tracer Temporal Filter West Limit -180<= west limit <=+ 180 The number of simulations in an ensemble. Number of Ensemble Members Vertical Resolution The number of points within the vertical domain of a model or grid. Diffusion terms that are added to the equations of motion. Inherent Spatial Diffusion Compiler Version The specific configuration value of the software used to take source code and turn it into executable code. Horizontal Resolution The number of points within the horizontal domain of a model or grid. Congruent Tiles Indicates whether or not all the tiles contained within a grid mosaic are of the same size and shape. Maximum Processors The highest number of computer chips on a computer system. Is Uniform Indicates whether or not the horizontal coordinates of a grid have fixed offsets in the X and Y directions. If the offset is the same in both directions then the grid is logically square, otherwise it is logically rectangular. The value the vertical coordinate at the top of a geophysical model. Location at Vertical Top Contact Name The person designated to provide information about a model component, dataset, or experiment. The reason for performing an experiment. Experiment Rationale Contact A person who is in a position to give you special assistance. Tracer Time Step Time-step size in seconds used moving the tracer transport solver forward. This will vary by horizontal resolution. The person who created the content of a book, article, or other source. Author Contact Email The email address of the person designated to provide information about a model component, dataset, or experiment. Specifies the lat-long position of any coordinate poles (in the mathematical sense) that form part of the definition of a grid tile. Coordinate Poles The Universal Unique IDentifier associated with the resource -90 <= north limit <= +90 North Limit Tracer Spatial Filter Any explicit or implicit diffusion or spatial filtering applied in the tracer transport solver. Number of Cells The number of cells in an unstructured grid. NX Specifies the length of the X, or longitude, dimension of the grid tile. Is Regular Indicates whether or not the horizontal coordinates of the grid can be defined using 1D arrays (vectors). This means that grid node locations are defined by the cartesian product of the X/Lon and Y/Lat coordinate vectors. It also means that grid cells are logically rectangular (they may also be physically rectangular in the case of projected coordinates).