Memory requirements

If you plan to run GEOS-Chem on a local computer system, please make sure that your system has sufficient memory to run your simulations.

Sufficient memory to run GEOS-Chem

For the \(4^{\circ}{\times}5^{\circ}\) “standard” simulation

  • 8-15 GB RAM

For the \(2^{\circ}{\times} 2.5^{\circ}\) “standard” simulation:

  • 30-40 GB RAM

  • 20 GB memory (MaxRSS)

  • 26 GB virtual memory (MaxVMSize)

Our standard GEOS-Chem Classic 1-month full-chemistry benchmark simulations use a little under 14 GB of system memory. This is mostly due to the fact that the benchmark simulations archive the “kitchen sink”—that is, most diagnostic outputs are requested so that the benchmark simulation can be properly evaluated. But a typical GEOS-Chem Classic production simulation would not require all of these diagnostic outputs, and thus would use much less memory than the benchmark simulations.

Extra memory for special simulations

You may want to consider at least 30 GB RAM if you plan on doing any of the following:

  • Running high-resolution (e.g. \(1^{\circ}{\times}1.25^{\circ}\) or higher resolution) global simulations

  • Running high-resolution (e.g. \(0.25^{\circ}{\times}0.3125^{\circ}\) or \(0.5^{\circ}{\times}0.625^{\circ}\)

  • Running \(2^{\circ}{\times}2.5^{\circ}\) and generating a lot of diagnostic output. The more diagnostics you turn on, the more memory GEOS-Chem Classic will require).