Inability to robustly prescribe component preference

[jkrasting]

Bug Severity

• 1 = Minor problem that does not affect total framework functionality (e.g., computation error in a POD, problem with logging output, or an issue on a single system
• 2 = Major problem that affects overall functionality, but that does not occur for all users (e.g., problems installing the framework with a specific Conda version, a framework option that causes one or more PODs to fail, or missing/incompatible Python modules).
• 3 = Catastrophic problem that occurs frequently for multiple users and/or on multiple systems (e.g.,framework consistently fails to install on multiple systems, or one or more PODs continuously fails after running successfully)

Describe the bug
The data selection heuristics for FREPP-processed data are yielding undesirable results for ocean fields. Here is a specific case example that considers the ocean variable tos or sea_surface_temperature. The field exists traditionally in three frepp components:

1. atmos_cmip
2. ocean_monthly
3. ocean_monthly_1x1deg

The current heuristics would select the version from atmos_cmip (since it contains the sub-string "cmip"). This selection would be undesirable from an ocean modeler's perspective. Even if the atmos_cmip component was ignored, the second criteria of selecting the component with the shortest name (ocean_monthly in this case) would not always be appropriate for high-resolution models.

Steps To Reproduce

• Add tos to the fieldlist_CMIP.jsonc file
• Create a dummy POD that tries to read tos

Environment

• GFDL central install

[jkrasting]

@wrongkindofdoctor, @aradhakrishnanGFDL, and @Wen-hao-Dong - I am working on some possible solutions to this issue. I will keep you posted.

[wrongkindofdoctor]

@jkrasting Much appreciated. I will add this to the top of this week's todo list.

[jkrasting]

No action needed on your part @wrongkindofdoctor - I am close to having a fix. Once I have something, I'd like to run it by the team to make sure we are on the same page.

[wrongkindofdoctor]

@jkrasting Okay. Sounds like a plan.