The Common Community Physics Package (CCPP) Framework v6 Geoscientific Model Development

The Common Community Physics Package (CCPP) is a collection of physical atmospheric parameterizations for use in Earth system models and a framework that couples the physics to a host model's dynamical core. A primary goal for this effort is to facilitate research and development of physical parameterizations and experimentation with physics–dynamics coupling methods while simultaneously offering capabilities for use in numerical weather prediction (NWP) operations. The CCPP Framework supports configurations ranging from process studies to operational NWP as it enables host models to assemble the parameterizations in flexible suites. Framework capabilities include variability in scheme call order; ability to group parameterizations for calls in different parts of the host model, allowing intervening computation or coupling to additional components; options to call some parameterizations more often than others; and automatic variable transformations. The CCPP Framework was developed by the Developmental Testbed Center and is distributed with a single-column model that can be used to test innovations and to conduct hierarchical studies in which physics and dynamics are decoupled. It is also an integral part of the Unified Forecast System, a community-based, coupled, comprehensive Earth modeling system designed to support research and be the source system for the NOAA's operational NWP applications. Finally, the CCPP Framework is under various stages of adoption by a number of other models in the wider community.