Environmental models are simplified representations of an
object or a process [1]. These models provide valuable information
on the nature of real-world phenomena and systems
[2], with many applications in science and engineering [3]. For
example, environmental models play an increasingly important
role in understanding the potential implications of climate
change [4].
There are many types of models in the environmental
sciences [5]. These models are often associated with large computational
costs because of their complexity [6]. The model
studied in this work, the Multiscale Online Nonhydrostatic AtmospheRe
CHemistry model (MONARCH), is an atmospheric
model that currently runs in the MareNostrum supercomputer
of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), one of the
Top-500 supercomputers in the world [7] [8]. MONARCH
provides regional mineral dust forecasts to the World Meteorological
Organization’s (WMO) Barcelona Dust Forecast Center
(BDFC) and the Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and
Assessment System (SDS-WAS). MONARCH also provides
global aerosol forecasts to the International Cooperative for
Aerosol Prediction (ICAP) initiative
