Producing a CHANGELOG for MOSRS vn0.10.0

[leifdenby]

I'm going to use this issue to develop a CHANGELOG (for inclusion in our repository) of the changes recently put on MOSRS. The aim is to indicate which changes are bugs vs features and where there are breaking changes

[leifdenby]

Below is copied from email from Adrian Hill

As I have already stated, this commit includes many more changes in addition to the solver change and we have been attempting to keep track of these changes with the trac ticket system. The main summary ticket is https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/ticket/344, which covers

1. Significant changes to CASIM so that it includes the optimisations and science changes that have been developed as part of general global and regional science configurations for the UM - https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/ticket/337
   * It is important to note that the new head of the MONC trunk (r8146) will not work with the CASIM trunk. Instead it only works with the CASIM package branch (https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/browser/casim/branches/pkg/adrianhill/vn0.3.4_ra_ga_package). Likewise, vn0.9.0 will work with the CASIM trunk but not work the CASIM package branch. Vn0.3.4_ra_ga_package is the candidate for the next CASIM trunk commit and it is being tested and reviewed now in prep for commit so that it works with both the UM and MONC. I hope this makes sense and I am sorry I was not able to make a smooth transition in which CASIM at all versions work with all MONC version, but the updates for CASIM so that it works with a cloud fraction scheme the UM required a change to the argument list. Hope this makes sense
2. Fixes to the model_core to allow MONC to build with the latest cray compilers and intel 17. I have performed limited testing with other versions of intel compiler and there are issues but it is unclear whether these issues relate to associated libraries, compiler bugs or MONC coding issues. Having said that,this is the first time that MONC is working with intel compiler since about 2014!
   * An outstanding issue with this commit is a restart issue/seg fault with the gfortran, which is being investigated
3. Significant changes and improvements from Reading (thanks to Todd Jones for implementing these) https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/ticket/345

It is important to note that all these changes will change answers compared to old simulations because of the new fft solver and the CASIM changes. The changes related to the fft are small but changes related to CASIM will be more significant.

[leifdenby]

Summary of changes:

• external requirement changed: CASIM, MOSRS "package branch" https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/browser/casim/branches/pkg/adrianhill/vn0.3.4_ra_ga_package
• FEAT, (not breaking?): support for intel compiler
• BREAKING: restart/segfault issue with gfortran
  what is the status on this?
• FEAT, BREAKING: FFTW no longer available and replaced with FFTE
  what changes to input files are required?
• FEAT: compilation working on newer gcc, intel and cray compilers
  which specifically?
• FEAT: checkpoint restarts (https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/ticket/315)
• FEAT: on-line scalar field histograms (https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/ticket/321)
• BUGFIX: parsing XML comment blocks in config files (https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/ticket/324)
• BUGFIX: diagnostics for forcing components (https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/ticket/325)
• BUGFIX: vertical velocity TKE flux calculation, NOTE: flux calculations are likely still incorrect (https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/ticket/326)
• FEAT: improved radiation sampling interval. rad_int_time global config variable renamed rad_interval
  is the renamed variable causing a breaking change?
• FEAT: faster writes of 2D fields (https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/ticket/340)
• BUGFIX: intermittent, repeatable failures during diagnostic write fixed with IO server fixes (https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/ticket/263)
• FEAT: tracer components supporting decaying and trajectory interpolation tracers (https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/ticket/342), trajectory integration library https://github.com/ReadingClouds/Trajectories
• FEAT: time-varying forcing based on netCDF input (https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/ticket/345)
• FEAT: GASS_diurnal/PECAN.mcf test case (https://code.metoffice.gov.uk/trac/monc/ticket/345)
• FEAT: arm_diurnal_cycle/arm_traj.mcf test case (demonstrating tracer trajectory functionality)