Tutorial: Accessing GEOS-Chem Input Data using AWS CLI

This tutorial will guide you through the process of accessing and using the GEOS-Chem Input Data with AWS CLI. Alternatively, you can access the data via AWS S3 Explorer.

Note

When you open an AWS account you will be asked for credit card information. But even if you don’t have (or don’t wish to open) an AWS account, you may still access and download the GEOS-Chem Input Data using AWS CLI with anonymous login, which is completely free.

The workflow is:

  1. Install AWS CLI

    • This step only has to be done once.

  2. Configure AWS CLI

    • You may skip this step if you do not have (or do not wish to open) an AWS account.

  3. Download data from the GEOS-Chem Input Data portal.

  4. Run a GEOS-Chem Classic, GCHP, or HEMCO standalone simulation.

Install AWS CLI

Follow the installation instructions from the AWS CLI User Guide.

Configure AWS CLI (if you already have an AWS account)

Note

You may skip ahead to the next section if you do not have (or do not wish to open) an AWS account but wish to access the data via anonymous login.

Configure AWS CLI with this command:

$ aws configure

and supply your credentials when prompted.

For instructions on aws configure, refer to the Configure the AWS CLI .

Access and download data

Step 1: List available data

To view the available data in the GEOS-Chem Input Data S3 bucket, use one of the following commands:

If you have an AWS account:

$ aws s3 ls s3://geos-chem/

If you do not have an AWS account:

$ aws s3 ls --no-sign-request s3://geos-chem/

Tip

Adding the --no-sign-request flag to any AWS CLI command will access or download data via anonymous login.

Step 2: Navigate through the directories

You can navigate through the directories to find the specific data you need. For example,

If you have an AWS account:

$ aws s3 ls s3://geos-chem/GEOS_0.5x0.625/MERRA2/2024/05

If you do not have an AWS account:

$ aws s3 ls --no-sign-request s3://geos-chem/GEOS_0.5x0.625/MERRA2/2024/05

Step 3: Download the data

Tip

If you are using GEOS-Chem Classic or the HEMCO standalone model, you can download data with a dry-run simulation, while still using the AWS CLI data transfer protocol.

Once you have located the data you need, you can download it to your local cluster or an EC2 instance. For example,

If you have an AWS account:

$ aws s3 cp s3://geos-chem/GEOS_0.5x0.625/MERRA2/2024/05 ./ --recursive

If you do not have an AWS account:

$ aws s3 cp --no-sign-request s3://geos-chem/GEOS_0.5x0.625/MERRA2/2024/05 ./ --recursive

This command will copy the data to your current path.

Run simulations using downloaded data

Once you have downloaded the data from the GEOS-Chem Input Data portal to your computer system or EC2 instance, you may run a GEOS-Chem Classic, GCHP, or HEMCO standalone simulation. Please refer to the relevant user guide listed below.

Running GCHP on AWS

If you wish to use the computing resources on AWS to run GCHP and are seeking for an AMI, feel free to check our Set up AWS ParallelCluster guide.