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4.3.30. Physics Methods

Model physics configuration options.

Parameters:

netradiationmethod

Method for calculating net all-wave radiation (Q*).

Options:

0 (OBSERVED) = Uses observed Q* values from forcing file

1 (LDOWN_OBSERVED) = Models Q* using NARP (Net All-wave Radiation Parameterization

2 (LDOWN_CLOUD) = Models Q* using NARP with L↓ estimated from cloud cover fraction

3 (LDOWN_AIR) = Models Q* using NARP with L↓ estimated from air temperature and relative humidity

Default:

3 (LDOWN_AIR)

emissionsmethod

Method for calculating anthropogenic heat flux (QF) and CO2 emissions.

Note

Some options below are marked as experimental. While scientifically validated, users should verify results for their specific applications.

Options:

0 (OBSERVED) = Uses observed QF values from forcing file (set to zero to exclude QF from energy balance)

1 (L11) = Loridan et al. (2011) SAHP method with air temperature and population density

2 (J11) = Järvi et al. (2011) SAHP_2 method with heating/cooling degree days

4 (J19) = Järvi et al. (2019) method with building energy, metabolism, and traffic

11 (BIOGEN_RECT_L11) = Rectangular hyperbola photosynthesis + L11 QF (experimental)

12 (BIOGEN_RECT_J11) = Rectangular hyperbola photosynthesis + J11 QF (experimental)

13 (BIOGEN_RECT_L11U) = Rectangular hyperbola photosynthesis + L11_UPDATED QF (experimental)

14 (BIOGEN_RECT_J19) = Rectangular hyperbola photosynthesis + J19 QF (experimental)

15 (BIOGEN_RECT_J19U) = Rectangular hyperbola photosynthesis + J19_UPDATED QF (experimental)

21 (BIOGEN_NRECT_L11) = Non-rectangular hyperbola (Bellucco 2017) + L11 QF (experimental)

22 (BIOGEN_NRECT_J11) = Non-rectangular hyperbola (Bellucco 2017) + J11 QF (experimental)

23 (BIOGEN_NRECT_L11U) = Non-rectangular hyperbola (Bellucco 2017) + L11_UPDATED QF (experimental)

24 (BIOGEN_NRECT_J19) = Non-rectangular hyperbola (Bellucco 2017) + J19 QF (experimental)

25 (BIOGEN_NRECT_J19U) = Non-rectangular hyperbola (Bellucco 2017) + J19_UPDATED QF (experimental)

41 (BIOGEN_COND_L11) = Conductance-based photosynthesis (Järvi 2019) + L11 QF (experimental)

42 (BIOGEN_COND_J11) = Conductance-based photosynthesis (Järvi 2019) + J11 QF (experimental)

43 (BIOGEN_COND_L11U) = Conductance-based photosynthesis (Järvi 2019) + L11_UPDATED QF (experimental)

44 (BIOGEN_COND_J19) = Conductance-based photosynthesis (Järvi 2019) + J19 QF (experimental)

45 (BIOGEN_COND_J19U) = Conductance-based photosynthesis (Järvi 2019) + J19_UPDATED QF (experimental)

Default:

2 (J11)

storageheatmethod

Method for calculating storage heat flux (ΔQS).

Options:

0 (OBSERVED) = Uses observed ΔQS values from forcing file

1 (OHM_WITHOUT_QF) = Objective Hysteresis Model using Q* only (use with OhmIncQf=0)

5 (EHC) = Explicit Heat Conduction model with separate roof/wall/ground temperatures

6 (DyOHM) = Dynamic Objective Hysteresis Model (Liu et al., 2025) with dynamic coefficients

7 (STEBBS) = use STEBBS storage heat flux for building, others use OHM

Default:

1 (OHM_WITHOUT_QF)

ohmincqf

Controls inclusion of anthropogenic heat flux in OHM storage heat calculations.

Options:

0 (EXCLUDE) = Use Q* only (required when StorageHeatMethod=1)

1 (INCLUDE) = Use Q*+QF (for other OHM-based storage heat methods)

Example:

0 (EXCLUDE)

roughlenmommethod

Method for calculating momentum roughness length (z0m).

Options:

1 (FIXED) = Fixed roughness length from site parameters

2 (VARIABLE) = Variable based on vegetation LAI using rule of thumb (Grimmond & Oke 1999)

3 (MACDONALD) = MacDonald et al. (1998) morphometric method based on building geometry

4 (LAMBDAP_DEPENDENT) = Varies with plan area fraction λp (Grimmond & Oke 1999)

Default:

2 (VARIABLE)

roughlenheatmethod

Method for calculating thermal roughness length (z0h).

Options:

1 (BRUTSAERT) = Brutsaert (1982) z0h = z0m/10 (see Grimmond & Oke 1986)

2 (KAWAI) = Kawai et al. (2009) formulation

3 (VOOGT_GRIMMOND) = Voogt and Grimmond (2000) formulation

4 (KANDA) = Kanda et al. (2007) formulation

5 (ADAPTIVE) = Adaptively using z0m based on pervious coverage: if fully pervious, use method 1

Default:

2 (KAWAI)

stabilitymethod

Atmospheric stability correction functions for momentum and heat fluxes.

Options:

3 (CAMPBELL_NORMAN) = Campbell & Norman (1998) formulations for both momentum and heat

Default:

3 (CAMPBELL_NORMAN)

Method Interactions

Provides stability correction functions used by rslmethod calculations

Provides to: rslmethod

smdmethod

Method for determining soil moisture deficit (SMD).

Options:

0 (MODELLED) = SMD calculated from water balance using soil parameters

1 (OBSERVED_VOLUMETRIC) = Uses observed volumetric soil moisture content (m³/m³) from forcing file

2 (OBSERVED_GRAVIMETRIC) = Uses observed gravimetric soil moisture content (kg/kg) from forcing file

Default:

0 (MODELLED)

waterusemethod

Method for determining external water use (irrigation).

Options:

0 (MODELLED) = Water use calculated based on soil moisture deficit and irrigation parameters

1 (OBSERVED) = Uses observed water use values from forcing file

Default:

0 (MODELLED)

rslmethod

Roughness Sublayer (RSL) method for calculating near-surface meteorological diagnostics (2m temperature, 2m humidity, 10m wind speed).

Options:

2 (VARIABLE) = Automatically selects between MOST and RST based on surface morphology (plan area index, frontal area index, and roughness element heights)

Default:

2 (VARIABLE)

Method Interactions

Determines how near-surface values (2m temp, 10m wind) are calculated from forcing data

Depends on: stabilitymethod Provides to: rsllevel

faimethod

Method for calculating frontal area index (FAI) - the ratio of frontal area to plan area.

Options:

1 (SIMPLE_SCHEME) = Calculate FAI using simple scheme based on surface fractions and heights (see issue #192)

Example:

0 (USE_PROVIDED)

rsllevel

Method for incorporating local environmental feedbacks on surface processes, particularly vegetation phenology and evapotranspiration responses to urban heat island effects.

Options:

0 (NONE) = No local climate adjustments

1 (BASIC) = Simple adjustments for urban temperature effects on leaf area index (LAI) and growing degree days

2 (DETAILED) = Comprehensive feedbacks including moisture stress, urban CO2 dome effects, and modified phenology cycles

Default:

0 (NONE)

Method Interactions

Uses near-surface values from rslmethod to modify vegetation processes

Depends on: rslmethod Provides to: gsmodel

gsmodel

Stomatal conductance parameterisation method for vegetation surfaces.

Options:

1 (JARVI) = Original parameterisation (Järvi et al. 2011) based on environmental controls

2 (WARD) = Updated parameterisation (Ward et al. 2016) with improved temperature and VPD responses

Default:

2 (WARD)

Method Interactions

Stomatal conductance model influenced by rsllevel adjustments

Depends on: rsllevel

snowuse

Controls snow process calculations (Järvi et al. 2014).

Options:

0 (DISABLED) = Snow processes not included

1 (ENABLED) = Snow accumulation, melt, and albedo effects included

Default:

0 (DISABLED)

stebbsmethod

Surface Temperature Energy Balance Based Scheme (STEBBS) for facet temperatures.

Options:

0 (NONE) = STEBBS calculations disabled

1 (DEFAULT) = STEBBS enabled with default parameters

2 (PROVIDED) = STEBBS enabled with user-specified parameters

Default:

0 (NONE)

rcmethod

Method to split building envelope heat capacity in STEBBS.

Options:

0 (NONE) = No heat capacity splitting applied

1 (PROVIDED) = Use user defined value (fractional x1) between 0 and 1

2 (PARAMETERISE) = Use building material thermal property to parameterise the weighting factor x1

Default:

0 (NONE)

samealbedo_wall

Controls assumption of same albedoes for walls.

Unit:

dimensionless

Example:

0 (DISABLED)

samealbedo_roof

Controls assumption of same albedoes for roofs.

Unit:

dimensionless

Example:

0 (DISABLED)

ref

The ref parameter group is defined by the Reference Info structure.