diff --git a/generate_nature.py b/generate_nature.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..2a77353348981f14d4fd9270ba6ad8b270af4750
--- /dev/null
+++ b/generate_nature.py
@@ -0,0 +1,225 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3
+"""
+high level control script
+submitting jobs into SLURM queue
+"""
+import os, sys, shutil
+import datetime as dt
+from slurmpy import Slurm
+
+# necessary to find modules in folder, since SLURM runs the script elsewhere
+sys.path.append(os.getcwd())
+
+from config.cfg import exp, cluster
+from scripts.utils import script_to_str, symlink
+
+# allow scripts to access the configuration
+symlink(cluster.scriptsdir+'/../config', cluster.scriptsdir+'/config')
+
+log_dir = cluster.archivedir()+'/logs/'
+slurm_scripts_dir = cluster.archivedir()+'/slurm-scripts/'
+print('logging to', log_dir)
+print('scripts, which are submitted to SLURM:', slurm_scripts_dir)
+
+def my_Slurm(*args, cfg_update=dict(), **kwargs):
+    """Shortcut to slurmpy's class; keep certain default kwargs
+    and only update some with kwarg `cfg_update`
+    see https://github.com/brentp/slurmpy
+    """
+    return Slurm(*args, slurm_kwargs=dict(cluster.slurm_cfg, **cfg_update), 
+                 log_dir=log_dir, scripts_dir=slurm_scripts_dir, **kwargs)
+
+class Cmdline(object):
+    def __init__(self, name, cfg_update):
+        self.name = name
+
+    def run(self, cmd, **kwargs):
+        print('running', self.name, 'without SLURM')
+        os.system(cmd)
+
+from scheduler import backup_scripts
+
+def prepare_wrfinput():
+    """Create WRF/run directories and wrfinput files
+    """
+    s = my_Slurm("prep_wrfinput", cfg_update={"time": "5", "mail-type": "BEGIN"})
+    id = s.run(cluster.python+' '+cluster.scriptsdir+'/prepare_wrfinput.py')
+
+    cmd = """# run ideal.exe in parallel, then add geodata
+export SLURM_STEP_GRES=none
+for ((n=1; n<="""+str(exp.n_ens)+"""; n++))
+do
+    rundir="""+cluster.userdir+'/run_WRF/'+exp.expname+"""/$n
+    echo $rundir
+    cd $rundir
+    mpirun -np 1 ./ideal.exe &
+done
+wait
+for ((n=1; n<="""+str(exp.n_ens)+"""; n++))
+do
+    rundir="""+cluster.userdir+'/run_WRF/'+exp.expname+"""/$n
+    mv $rundir/rsl.out.0000 $rundir/rsl.out.input
+done
+"""
+    s = my_Slurm("ideal", cfg_update={"ntasks": str(exp.n_ens), "nodes": "1",
+                                      "time": "10", "mem-per-cpu": "2G"})
+    id = s.run(cmd, depends_on=[id])
+    return id
+
+def update_wrfinput_from_archive(valid_time, background_init_time, exppath, depends_on=None):
+    """Given that directories with wrfinput files exist,
+    update these wrfinput files according to wrfout files
+    """
+    s = my_Slurm("upd_wrfinput", cfg_update={"time": "5"})
+
+    # path of initial conditions, <iens> is replaced by member index
+    IC_path = exppath + background_init_time.strftime('/%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M/')  \
+              +'*iens*/'+valid_time.strftime('/wrfout_d01_%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S')
+    id = s.run(cluster.python+' '+cluster.scriptsdir+'/update_wrfinput_from_wrfout.py '
+                +IC_path, depends_on=[depends_on])
+    return id
+
+def run_ENS(begin, end, depends_on=None):
+    """Run forecast for 1 minute, save output. 
+    Then run whole timespan with 5 minutes interval.
+    """
+    id = depends_on
+
+    # first minute forecast (needed for validating an assimilation)
+    hist_interval = 1
+    radt = 1  # calc CFRAC also in first minute
+    begin_plus1 = begin+dt.timedelta(minutes=1)
+    s = my_Slurm("preWRF1", cfg_update=dict(time="2"))
+    id = s.run(' '.join([cluster.python,
+               cluster.scriptsdir+'/prepare_namelist.py',
+               begin.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M'),
+               begin_plus1.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M'),
+               str(hist_interval), str(radt),]), 
+             depends_on=[id])
+
+    s = my_Slurm("runWRF1", cfg_update={"nodes": "1", "array": "1-"+str(exp.n_nodes),
+                "time": "2", "mem-per-cpu": "2G"})
+    cmd = script_to_str(cluster.run_WRF).replace('<expname>', exp.expname)
+    id = s.run(cmd, depends_on=[id])
+
+    # apply forward operator (DART filter without assimilation)
+    s = my_Slurm("fwOP-1m", cfg_update=dict(time="10", ntasks=48))
+    id = s.run(cluster.python+' '+cluster.scriptsdir+'/apply_obs_op_dart.py '
+               + begin.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M')+' '
+               + begin_plus1.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M'),
+               depends_on=[id])
+
+    # whole forecast timespan
+    hist_interval = 5
+    radt = 5
+    s = my_Slurm("preWRF2", cfg_update=dict(time="2"))
+    id = s.run(' '.join([cluster.python,
+               cluster.scriptsdir+'/prepare_namelist.py',
+               begin.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M'),
+               end.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M'),
+               str(hist_interval), str(radt),]), 
+            depends_on=[id])
+
+    time_in_simulation_hours = (end-begin).total_seconds()/3600
+    runtime_wallclock_mins_expected = int(4+time_in_simulation_hours*9)  # usually below 8 min/hour
+    s = my_Slurm("runWRF2", cfg_update={"nodes": "1", "array": "1-"+str(exp.n_nodes),
+                "time": str(runtime_wallclock_mins_expected), "mem-per-cpu": "2G"})
+    cmd = script_to_str(cluster.run_WRF).replace('<expname>', exp.expname)
+    id = s.run(cmd, depends_on=[id])
+
+    # not needed, since wrf.exe writes directly to archive folder
+    #s = my_Slurm("archiveWRF", cfg_update=dict(nodes="1", ntasks="1", time="10"))
+    #id3 = s.run(cluster.python+' '+cluster.scriptsdir+'/archive_wrf.py '
+    #           + begin.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M'), depends_on=[id2])
+    return id
+
+def assimilate(assim_time, prior_init_time,
+               prior_path_exp=False, depends_on=None):
+    """Creates observations from a nature run and assimilates them.
+
+    Args:
+        assim_time (dt.datetime): timestamp of prior wrfout files
+        prior_init_time (dt.datetime): 
+            timestamp to find the directory where the prior wrfout files are
+        prior_path_exp (bool or str):
+            put a `str` to take the prior from a different experiment
+            if False: use `archivedir` (defined in config) to get prior state
+            if str: use this directory to get prior state
+    """
+    if not prior_path_exp:
+        prior_path_exp = cluster.archivedir()
+    elif not isinstance(prior_path_exp, str):
+        raise TypeError('prior_path_exp either str or False, is '+str(type(prior_path_exp)))
+
+    # prepare state of nature run, from which observation is sampled
+    #s = my_Slurm("prepNature", cfg_update=dict(time="2"))
+    #id = s.run(cluster.python+' '+cluster.scriptsdir+'/prepare_nature.py '
+    #           +time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M'), depends_on=[depends_on])
+    
+    # prepare prior model state
+    s = my_Slurm("preAssim", cfg_update=dict(time="2"))
+    id = s.run(cluster.python+' '+cluster.scriptsdir+'/pre_assim.py '
+               +assim_time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M ')
+               +prior_init_time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M ')
+               +prior_path_exp, depends_on=[depends_on])
+
+    # prepare nature run, generate observations
+    s = my_Slurm("Assim", cfg_update={"nodes": "1", "ntasks": "96", "time": "30",
+                             "mem": "300G", "ntasks-per-node": "96", "ntasks-per-core": "2"})
+    id = s.run(cluster.python+' '+cluster.scriptsdir+'/assim_synth_obs.py '
+               +time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M'), depends_on=[id])
+ 
+    # # actuall assimilation step
+    # s = my_Slurm("Assim", cfg_update=dict(nodes="1", ntasks="48", time="50", mem="200G"))
+    # cmd = 'cd '+cluster.dartrundir+'; mpirun -np 48 ./filter; rm obs_seq_all.out'
+    # id = s.run(cmd, depends_on=[id])
+
+    # s = my_Slurm("archiveAssim", cfg_update=dict(time="10"))
+    # id = s.run(cluster.python+' '+cluster.scriptsdir+'/archive_assim.py '
+    #            + assim_time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M'), depends_on=[id])
+
+    s = my_Slurm("updateIC", cfg_update=dict(time="8"))
+    id = s.run(cluster.python+' '+cluster.scriptsdir+'/update_wrfinput_from_filteroutput.py '
+                +assim_time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M ')
+                +prior_init_time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M ')
+                +prior_path_exp, depends_on=[id])
+    return id
+
+
+def create_satimages(depends_on=None):
+    s = my_Slurm("pRTTOV", cfg_update={"ntasks": "48", "time": "40"})
+    s.run(cluster.python+' /home/fs71386/lkugler/RTTOV-WRF/loop.py '+exp.expname,
+          depends_on=[depends_on])
+
+def mailme(depends_on=None):
+    if depends_on:
+        s = my_Slurm("AllFinished", cfg_update={"time": "1", "mail-type": "BEGIN"})
+        s.run('sleep 1', depends_on=[depends_on])
+
+
+################################
+print('starting osse')
+
+backup_scripts()
+id = None
+
+id = prepare_wrfinput()  # create initial conditions
+
+begin = dt.datetime(2008, 7, 30, 6, 0)
+end = dt.datetime(2008, 7, 30, 20, 0)
+
+# whole forecast timespan
+hist_interval = 5
+radt = 5
+s = my_Slurm("namelist", cfg_update=dict(time="2"))
+id = s.run(' '.join([cluster.python,
+            cluster.scriptsdir+'/prepare_namelist.py',
+            begin.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M'),
+            end.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M'),
+            str(hist_interval), str(radt),]), 
+        depends_on=[id])
+
+s = my_Slurm("EnsWRF", cfg_update={"nodes": "1", "array": "1-"+str(exp.n_nodes),
+             "mem-per-cpu": "2G", "mail-type": "BEGIN,FAIL,END"})
+cmd = script_to_str(cluster.run_WRF).replace('<expname>', exp.expname)
+id = s.run(cmd, depends_on=[id])
diff --git a/scheduler.py b/scheduler.py
index 9de5eb904c046a07850c8f62d6681c1d29919021..225bacf477a39cd2a6767fe10afc6581894c6864 100755
--- a/scheduler.py
+++ b/scheduler.py
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ def run_ENS(begin, end, depends_on=None, first_minute=True):
             depends_on=[id])
 
     time_in_simulation_hours = (end-begin).total_seconds()/3600
-    runtime_wallclock_mins_expected = int(4+time_in_simulation_hours*9)  # usually below 8 min/hour
+    runtime_wallclock_mins_expected = int(6+time_in_simulation_hours*10)  # usually below 8 min/hour
     s = my_Slurm("runWRF2", cfg_update={"nodes": "1", "array": "1-"+str(exp.n_nodes),
                 "time": str(runtime_wallclock_mins_expected), "mem-per-cpu": "2G"})
     cmd = script_to_str(cluster.run_WRF).replace('<expname>', exp.expname)
@@ -229,41 +229,43 @@ def mailme(depends_on=None):
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     print('starting osse')
 
-    timedelta_integrate = dt.timedelta(minutes=75)
-    timedelta_btw_assim = dt.timedelta(minutes=60)
+    timedelta_integrate = dt.timedelta(minutes=45)
+    timedelta_btw_assim = dt.timedelta(minutes=30)
 
     backup_scripts()
     id = None
 
-    start_from_existing_state = False
+    start_from_existing_state = True
     is_new_run = not start_from_existing_state
 
     if is_new_run:
         id = prepare_wrfinput()  # create initial conditions
 
         # spin up the ensemble
-        init_time = dt.datetime(2008, 7, 30, 6, 0)
-        integration_end_time = dt.datetime(2008, 7, 30, 9, 0)
+        init_time = dt.datetime(2008, 7, 30, 6)
+        integration_end_time = dt.datetime(2008, 7, 30, 9)
         id = run_ENS(begin=init_time,
                     end=integration_end_time,
                     first_minute=False,
                     depends_on=id)
-        time = integration_end_time
+        prior_path_exp = False  # for next assimilation
         
     elif start_from_existing_state:
+        id = prepare_wrfinput()  # create initial conditions
         
         # get initial conditions from archive
         init_time = dt.datetime(2008, 7, 30, 6)
-        integration_end_time = dt.datetime(2008, 7, 30, 10)
-        exppath_arch = '/gpfs/data/fs71386/lkugler/sim_archive/exp_v1.13_P0_ps-t2'
+        integration_end_time = dt.datetime(2008, 7, 30, 9)
+        exppath_arch = '/gpfs/data/fs71386/lkugler/sim_archive/exp_v1.16_P0_40mem'
         id = update_wrfinput_from_archive(integration_end_time, init_time, exppath_arch, depends_on=id)
+        prior_path_exp = exppath_arch  # for next assimilation
 
     # values for assimilation
+    time = integration_end_time
     assim_time = integration_end_time
     prior_init_time = init_time
-    prior_path_exp = False #exppath_arch
 
-    while time <= dt.datetime(2008, 7, 30, 18):
+    while time <= dt.datetime(2008, 7, 30, 15):
 
         id = assimilate(assim_time,
                         prior_init_time,
diff --git a/scripts/update_wrfinput_from_filteroutput.py b/scripts/update_wrfinput_from_filteroutput.py
index 0faa6b6838cf3585092fa2800d31b49e7ab5c273..0d7329c53663ce4b978cc7821024d4ab9936a8b3 100755
--- a/scripts/update_wrfinput_from_filteroutput.py
+++ b/scripts/update_wrfinput_from_filteroutput.py
@@ -10,8 +10,10 @@ background_init_time = dt.datetime.strptime(sys.argv[2], '%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M')
 exppath_firstguess = str(sys.argv[3])
 
 """
-# assumes T = THM (dry potential temperature as prognostic variable)
+sets initial condition data (wrfinput file) in run_WRF directories 
+from a DART output state (set of filter_restart files)
 
+# assumes T = THM (dry potential temperature as prognostic variable)
 """
 update_vars = ['Times', 'U', 'V', 'T', 'PH', 'MU', 'QVAPOR', 'QCLOUD', 'QICE', 'TSK', 'CLDFRA']
 updates = ','.join(update_vars)
diff --git a/scripts/update_wrfinput_from_wrfout.py b/scripts/update_wrfinput_from_wrfout.py
index 5430fc844f5aca890e2baad7b512d63b7d51b1c5..afe223225e57a10452100b82a2db148b24487229 100644
--- a/scripts/update_wrfinput_from_wrfout.py
+++ b/scripts/update_wrfinput_from_wrfout.py
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ for iens in range(1, exp.n_ens+1):
     print('updating', wrfin, 'to state in', wrfout)
     assert os.path.isfile(wrfout), wrfout
 
+    os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(wrfin), exist_ok=True)
+
     # overwrite variables in wrfinput file
     # os.system(cluster.ncks+' -A -v '+vars+' '+wrfout+' '+wrfin)
     copy(wrfout, wrfin) 
diff --git a/templates/input.nml b/templates/input.nml
index 5519f6d7829c7fb65596571b896b57889563e291..561461b0f476fae1ae790708114ad8fc976aa50e 100644
--- a/templates/input.nml
+++ b/templates/input.nml
@@ -249,10 +249,10 @@
 # based on your grid size.  nlon must be an odd number.
 &location_nml
    horiz_dist_only             = <horiz_dist_only>,
-   vert_normalization_pressure = 6666666.7,
+   vert_normalization_pressure = -1,
    vert_normalization_height   = <vert_norm_hgt>,
-   vert_normalization_level    = 2666.7,
-   vert_normalization_scale_height = 10.0,
+   vert_normalization_level    = -1,
+   vert_normalization_scale_height = -1,
    approximate_distance        = .false.,
    nlon                        = 71,
    nlat                        = 36,
diff --git a/templates/namelist.input b/templates/namelist.input
index b057622ff5ac3d9ffe61211fb96a02e398a26613..911d0e4946565f6da767e923e75570ba7d6fc4ae 100644
--- a/templates/namelist.input
+++ b/templates/namelist.input
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
  j_parent_start                      = 0,     15,    15,
  parent_grid_ratio                   = 1,     3,     3,
  parent_time_step_ratio              = 1,     3,     3,
- eta_levels = 1.0000, 0.9969, 0.9932, 0.9889, 0.9837, 0.9776, 0.9704, 0.9620, 0.9522, 0.9408, 0.9277, 0.9126, 0.8954, 0.8760, 0.8543, 0.8303, 0.8040, 0.7755, 0.7450, 0.7128, 0.6793, 0.6448, 0.6097, 0.5744, 0.5393, 0.5048, 0.4711, 0.4381, 0.4061, 0.3749, 0.3448, 0.3157, 0.2877, 0.2609, 0.2352, 0.2107, 0.1874, 0.1654, 0.1447, 0.1252, 0.1069, 0.0902, 0.0752, 0.0618, 0.0498, 0.0390, 0.0294, 0.0208, 0.0131, 0.0062, 0.0000
+ eta_levels = 1.0000, 0.9969, 0.9923, 0.9857, 0.9762, 0.9627, 0.9443, 0.9200, 0.8892, 0.8525, 0.8111, 0.7671, 0.7223, 0.6782, 0.6357, 0.5949, 0.5558, 0.5183, 0.4824, 0.4482, 0.4155, 0.3844, 0.3547, 0.3266, 0.2999, 0.2750, 0.2519, 0.2304, 0.2105, 0.1919, 0.1747, 0.1586, 0.1437, 0.1299, 0.1170, 0.1050, 0.0939, 0.0836, 0.0740, 0.0650, 0.0567, 0.0490, 0.0419, 0.0352, 0.0290, 0.0232, 0.0179, 0.0129, 0.0083, 0.0040, 0.0000
  /
 
  &physics