This study proposes a performance-based method to improve WRF climate simulation evaluation by addressing uncertainty in selecting scheme combinations. The method gives greater importance to difficult-to-simulate variables, such as precipitation and wind speed. Tested in two contrasting climate regions, it identified interpretable and well-performing model settings compared with equal weighting and established statistical weighting methods, including in the independent extreme-year test.

This research introduces a new method that combines model simulations with satellite observations to attribute the influence of wildfire smoke on an airmass. By dynamically determining the height of smoke plumes, we overcome a key limitation of earlier fixed reception-height approaches. This advancement is crucial for improving our understanding of how wildfire emissions influence cloud formation and the broader Earth's climate system.