The UK's community atmospheric chemistry model, UKCA, is now too complex to teach in a single week, so its training has been split into introductory and advanced courses. This matters because UKCA is a core component of the UK Earth System Model (UKESM), used by hundreds of researchers worldwide to simulate how pollutants, greenhouse gases, and aerosols behave in the atmosphere. Without proper training, new scientists cannot use the model effectively, and existing users struggle to keep up with new capabilities. Over 160 people have attended previous annual courses since 2013, with demand consistently exceeding the 20 available places. The new two-day in-person introductory course will teach basics like creating emissions files and analysing data. The advanced course, delivered online over three weeks, will cover complex code changes and chemical reactions. Students can attend both, gaining networking benefits from the in-person session while completing advanced material at their own pace. This training directly supports the scientists who build and improve the climate and air quality models that underpin UK environmental policy, pollution forecasting, and international climate assessments.
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The United Kingdom Chemistry and Aerosols (UKCA) model is a community atmospheric composition model developed by the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) in collaboration with the UK Met Office and is a core component of the UK Earth System Model (UKESM). UKCA contains state-of-the-art schemes for whole atmosphere chemistry together with the GLOMAP aerosol microphysics scheme. These are large and complicated models, with a complex workflow and user interface, and training for new users is essential. The number of UKESM and UKCA users nationally and internationally has grown considerably over time. UKCA is open-source and provides standalone box-model configurations which mirror those used within large climate and air quality models. This training will not only prepare new researchers but will also support existing users of UKCA to keep up to date with new capabilities. Students will learn to use the box-model as well as the 3-dimensional model implementation of UKCA as used in UKESM to add new chemical reactions and diagnostics alongside associated chemical and aerosol processes, and to process, analyse, and visualise UKESM output alongside observational data. The content of this training course has been developed and refined over time following feedback from previous participants. Over 160 people have attended the annual UKCA training courses since 2013. All previous NERC-funded UKCA training courses have had applications up to, or exceeding, the 20 places available. Feedback from previous years has been positive, for example: “It's an excellent workshop that I would certainly recommend to future UK-based PhD candidates and post-docs having an interest in chemistry and aerosol.” “The practicals are tough but that's a good thing. The notes require you to think for yourself, but again that's a good thing.” “I find the work-flow of the practical very well designed.” “This was probably the best workshop I have attended” For previous workshops, 90% of attendees rated the practicals as good (28%) or excellent (62%). As the course content has grown over time, it is no longer possible to complete the training in a single week. We therefore split the training provision into introductory and advanced courses. The 2-day in-person introductory course covers basics such as making up new emissions files and analysing data, thereby teaching key skills that benefit all users of UKESM. The advanced course will be delivered as an online, on-demand course and will cover more complex code and diagnostic changes, with students encouraged to progress through the course material in their own time over three weeks. Students will be able to attend both courses, benefitting from the networking and interactive elements of an in-person course, whilst also having the flexibility to complete the advanced content at their own pace. Additional places will also be available on the advanced course for those unable to attend the in-person training. At the end of these courses the students will not only be confident in using UKCA for their own research, they will also have an understanding of where their work fits within the future directions for UKCA development and the opportunities this will bring. The advanced course is also well-suited for those who are considering coupling the UKCA model component to their own dynamical models, as they will gain an understanding of how to interface the standalone code with a larger parent model.
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