First LBA-Model Intercomparison Project (LBA-MIP) Workshop

24-25 September 2007
Salvador, Bahia, BRAZIL

The first LBA-MIP Workshop was held in the Hotel Fiesta Convention Center from 24-25, September 2007 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil in association with the LBA-ECO 11th Science Team Meeting. The objective of the workshop was to discuss efforts of bringing together modeling groups to achieve understanding on how the different models simulate the ecosystems and biogeophysical processes within LBA. The 24 participants, representing 12 modeling groups discussed basic metrics for preliminary results such energy, water and carbon balances and how well models represent the seasonality of Amazon. There was also the opportunity to discuss the current state of the atmospheric forcing datasets and ancillary data (e.g., related soil and vegetation parameters). A list of suggested changes in the current protocol based on the discussions during this workshop can be seen here.

Two important points discussed in the workshop need special attention:

1. The participants agreed that the runs should be redone due to some issues found in the atmospheric forcing and LAI data. Therefore those datasets will be reprocessed and undergo additional QA/QC and the reprocessed datasets are expected to be completed by early November, 2007. The new set of runs will give the opportunity for those groups that could not finish by the last deadline to include their models in the analysis. The attendants agreed that it would be easier to redo the runs since most of the models have been adjusted for the MIP procedures. The deadlines will be confirmed soon.
2. There were several groups that were not familiar with the ALMA standards and NetCDF files formatting what caused delayed submissions and prevented some of the results to be included in the preliminary results presented during the workshop. A set of tools (4) for converting data (i.e., ASCII) into NetCDF and data analysis will be provided.

The next workshop is planned to be held in Tucson, AZ, March or April 2008.

Due to a high attendance of LBA-MIP participants in the December, 2007 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, CA, an informal meeting will take place, tentatively, on Wednesday, the 12th during the conference (exact date to be confirmed upon participants availability). During this informal meeting, LBA-MIP current progress, partial/preliminary results (if any available) and other issues including the upcoming workshop will be discussed.

Presentations

• Welcome and overview and discussion of workshop goals
  Luis Gustavo de Goncalves (NASA-Goddard, US)
• Motivation for LBA-MIP: questions from an observationalist
  Scott Saleska (University of Arizona, US)
• The data drivers: status report and discussion about data drivers used
  Natalia Restrepo-Coupe (University of Arizona, US)
• Model optimization with the 5PM model
  Margriet Groenendijk (Vrije University, Netherlands)
• Reparameterizing the Richard’s equation in CLM 3.0: are deep roots really necessary?
  Brad Christoffersen (University of Arizona, US)
• Hydrologic controls on Amazonia carbon balance
  Ben Poulter (Postdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Germany)
• LBA-MIP: Carbon Flux Characteristics across Multiple Models at Multiple Sites
  Ian Baker (Colorado State University, US)
• Energy budget partitioning across LBA-MIP models
  Lindsey Gulden (University of Texas, US)
• Comparing point surface observations to gridded datasets
  Pedro L. Silva Dias (LNCC, Petropolis, RJ, Brazil)
• Lessons Learned from the HYLAND model
  David Gailbraith (Edinburgh University, UK)
• Water Fluxes and LAI at LBA-MIP
  Marcos Costa (Universidade de Vicosa, MG, Brazil)
• The Tropical Land Atmosphere Water Flux
  Josh Fisher (Oxford University, UK)

Other related presentations during the LBA-ECO 11th Science Team Meeting

• When different LSM’s drive the same dynamic phenology module, which better simulates surface-to-atmosphere fluxes?
  Enrique Rosero (University of Texas, US)
• Carbon and energy fluxes simulated by the Noah LSM and the Community Land Model
• Immediate actions to be taken after the 1st LBA-MIP Workshop
• 1st LBA-MIP Workshop Agenda
• 1st LBA-MIP Workshop Participants List