Microscale models of the atmosphere are designed to simulate small-scale flow systems (e.g. turbulence, vortices, flow over obstacles) with a horizontal length scale ranging between few metres and some 100 m.
Different microscale models are operated at the institute, each one optimized for a specific purpose. For example, the model MESOSCOP is used for the large-eddy simulation (LES) of turbulence and the simulation of contrails. DISTUF serve for the direct simulation of turbulence and EULAG can be used for airflow simulations over small hills. DISTUF and EULAG are also used for modelling wake vortices of aircraft and their interaction with the background atmosphere. The modell FLU3D is especially designed for the simulation of airflow over and around steep obstacles (e.g. noise screens, trees).
In a more general sense, also numerical noise propagation models belong to the category of microscale models. The sound particle model AKUMET and the linearized Euler (LE) model AKU3D are used together with FLU3D for the noise research at the institute.