In the lists below, "single history file" refers to the size of one snapshot in time of a standard number of 3D and 2D variables output by the model. The number of variables can vary from model to model and run to run. Unless otherwise indicated, it assume the variables for monthly output in a climate-scale simulation (decades to centuries of simulated time.)
Typical number of 3D variables: 10-20
(A simulation with chemistry or biogeochemistry can add dozens to hundreds of 3D tracers)
Typical number of 2D variables: 100 (atmosphere), 10-20 (ocean), 50 (land and sea-ice)
Global Atmosphere Model
CAM Finite Volume 0.5 degree
576x384x26 regular lat-lon grid
single 3D variable 23 MB single history file 859 MB single restart file 1.925 GB
with history output every simulated month:
1 year: 10.3 GB 100 years: 1.03 TB
CAM HOMME 0.125 degree
single 3D variable 616MB (real*8) single 2D variable 25MB (real*8) total grid points per 3D variable: 3110402 x 26 single history file 24GB single restart file
with history output every simulated month:
1 year: 288 GB 100 years: 28.8 TB
with history output every simulated month and 2-hourly 2D fields:
1 year: 392 GB 100 years: 39.2 TB
GFDL HIRAM
C720 12.5km; 32 levels; cubed sphere grid.
single 3D variable 0.8 GB total grid points per 3D variable 0.1 G single history file 15 GB single restart file 6.5 GB
history output for 1 simulated day (hurricane forecast mode): 25 GB history output for 1 simulated day (year hindcast mode): 15 GB Hurricane forecast test (100 runs of 5 days each): 12 TB 1 year hindcast for 2008: 5.4 TB 5 member ensemble hindcast: 27 TB
GFDL HIRAM
C2000 4.5km; 54 levels; cubed sphere grid
single 3D variable 10 GB total grid points per 3D variable 1.3 G single history file 200 GB single restart file 80 GB
History output for 1 simulated day (hurricane forecast mode): 200 GB Hurricane forecast studies (4 5-day experiments) 4 TB
CSU GCRM 4km horizontal, 100 levels, geodesic grid
single 3D variable; cell center 16 GB single 3D variable; cell edge 50.3 GB single 3D variable; cell corner 33.6 GB Number of cells; corners; edges: 40M; 80M; 120M single history file 571 GB single restart file 400 GB
with history output every simulated month:
1 year 6 TB 100 years 600 TB
with high frequency history output (used for studying fast time scale processes):
1 simulated day (every 3 hours) 4.5 TB 1 simulated week (4 hourly) 24 TB 1 simulated month (6 hourly) 68.5 TB 1 simulated year (6 hourly) 822 TB
Ocean model
POP 0.1 degree
3600x2400x42 stretched lat-lon grid.
single 3D variable 1.45 GB (4 byte reals) single history file 18.94 GB single restart file 24.19 GB
with history output every simulated month:
1 year: 227 GB 100 years: 22.7 TB
Sea ice model
CICE 0.1 degree
3600x2400 stretched lat lon grid.
single 2D variable 33 MB (4 byte reals) single history file 4.32 GB single restart file 5.045 GB
with history output every simulated month:
1 year: 51.84 GB 100 years: 5.184 TB