Land surface scheme TerM: the model formulation, code architecture and applications

Abstract This paper presents the INM RAS–MSU land surface scheme, extracted from the INM RAS Earth system model into an independent software complex and supplemented with several modules to reproduce new components and processes of the Earth system. The resulting software product is referred to as TerM (Terrestrial Model). The physical and mathematical foundations of the model, the main features of the software implementation, and examples of applications in reproducing components of the terrestrial hydrological and carbon cycles are briefly outlined. Separating the land surface block into a standalone software complex significantly saves computational resources when assessing the impact of global and regional climate changes on natural resources (including hydrological ones), ecosystem dynamics, and emissions of climate-relevant substances with high spatial detalization. Within the TerM modelling complex, the development, validation, and calibration of new parameterizations of physical and biogeochemical processes are being conducted in an autonomous mode for subsequent implementation into the full INM RAS Earth system model.