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Coupled Modeling deals with the development and validation of GMAO's coupled Ocean-Land-Atmosphere climate model. The project involves performing and analyzing century-length runs with high-resolution models.

Atmospheric Modeling addresses the development and validation of the atmospheric general circulation model (GCM) component of the GMAO's climate model and data assimilation system. The project involves long climate simulations, seasonal forecasts, and numerical weather prediction (NWP) runs for test and validation.

Land Surface Modeling deals with the development and validation of the catchment hydrology model and maintenance of the older Mosaic land surface model (LSM). The project involves the development of the GMAO's unified LSM, including vegetation phenology and dynamics, and land carbon and chemistry processes. It also involves both stand-alone and atmospheric global circulation model (AGCM) coupled runs.

Ocean Modeling is involved with the development and validation of the ocean general circulation model (GCM) component of the GMAO's climate model, seasonal forecast model, and ocean data assimilation system. The project produces long ocean only simulations and runs are made in support of the coupled, forecasting, ocean assimilation, and ocean biogeochemistry efforts.

Ocean Biology Modeling: GMAO is a leader in the effort to include ocean biological and biogeochemical processes in coupled models. The NASA Ocean Biogeochemical Model (NOBM) was built by GMAO personnel and is in the process of being coupled to the complex and interactive GEOS-5 climate systems.

Earth Science Modeling Framework (ESMF) is a collaborative effort to implement this approach in all GMAO systems. Code development and conversion exercises will require much testing with all major GMAO systems. To facilitate the use of ESMF, GMAO is leading the development of MAPL, a software layer and set of conventions to standardize the use of the ESMF.