JSON formatted FATES parameters

[rgknox]

This set of changes introduces a format change for FATES parameters from netcdf to JSON. These changes were introduced for various reasons, see explanation in FATES PR 1493.

[non-BFB] for FATES

[rgknox]

This must come in after FATES 1493.
NGEET/fates#1493

[glemieux]

RGK: THIS IS COMPLETE This should come in after #7899. NGEET/fates#1493 has been integrated into FATES.

This should come in before #7482

[glemieux]

Regression testing the e3sm_land_developer against the master baseline is underway on pm-cpu.

[glemieux]

Regression testing with the e3sm land developer tests against master are B4B on perlmutter with the expected NLCOMP exception in the fates mod due to the change in the fates parameter file name change.

@peterdschwartz during integration testing, will this get tested on different machines? @rgknox and I are curious if there will be any issues that crop up with testing on a different machine.

[rljacob]

Yes the overnight testing will run on several machines. What compiler did you use on perlmutter? Different compilers usually expose problems more then different machines.

[glemieux]

Yes the overnight testing will run on several machines. What compiler did you use on perlmutter? Different compilers usually expose problems more then different machines.

Thanks @rljacob. I used the gnu and intel compilers on pm-cpu.

[glemieux]

@peterdschwartz I realized I actually made a mistake during regression testing. Please hold off on integrating for now. Apologies.

[glemieux]

@peterdschwartz I've rerun the testing with the correct fates tag (which has been updated and pushed here). I'm seeing expected DIFFs on fates test with the exception of the fates_satphen test which is B4B as expected. The diffs are due to updating the tag to a newer version of fates which includes answer changing bug fixes.

Results: /global/homes/g/glemieux/scratch/e3sm-tests/pr7954-eld-sci1901.fates.pm-cpu..E79f1841d16-F55ec6c776

[rljacob]

Is this ready?

[glemieux]

Is this ready?

@rljacob yes

[rljacob]

@peterdschwartz please start merging this.

[peterdschwartz]

Tested the branch on chrysalis and everything worked as expected so will merge today. Expecting these DIFFs

>>> ./cs.status.20260225_082331_xxphhs | grep "Overall: DIFF"
  ERS_D_Ld15.f45_g37.IELMFATES.chrysalis_intel.elm-fates_cold_treedamage (Overall: DIFF) details:
  ERS_Ld20.f45_f45.IELMFATES.chrysalis_intel.elm-fates (Overall: DIFF) details:
  SMS_D_Ld20.f45_f45.IELMFATES.chrysalis_intel.elm-fates_rd (Overall: DIFF) details:
  SMS_Ld20.f45_f45.IELMFATES.chrysalis_intel.elm-fates_eca (Overall: DIFF) details:
  SMS_Ld5_PS.f19_g16.IELMFATES.chrysalis_intel.elm-fates_cold (Overall: DIFF) details:

[peterdschwartz]

on next