diff --git a/Materials/regions/materials.xml b/Materials/regions/materials.xml
index a33422521..5a6ddfc05 100644
--- a/Materials/regions/materials.xml
+++ b/Materials/regions/materials.xml
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
+
diff --git a/Materials/regions/rio_de_janeiro.xml b/Materials/regions/rio_de_janeiro.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..807f7f4ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Materials/regions/rio_de_janeiro.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+
+
+
+ Rio de Janeiro
+
+
+
+ -44.0-
+ -42.0
+ -24.0
+ -22.5
+
+
+
+ BuiltUpCover
+ Urban
+ Effects/urban
+
+ Terrain/latin_american_city1.png
+ Terrain/latin_american_city1-relief-light.png
+ Terrain/town-middle-east.png
+ Terrain/dirtrock.png
+
+
+ 1
+ 1
+ 0.8
+ 0.2
+ -1.0
+
+ Terrain/latin_american_city1.mask.png
+ 1000
+ 1000
+ 100000.0
+
+ 0.05
+ 0.05
+ 0.02
+ 1.0
+
+
+ 2500.0
+ 0.4
+ 3
+ 30.0
+ 10.0
+ 30.0
+ 0.6
+ 0.2
+ 250000.0
+ Trees/deciduous-alt.png
+ 8
+ 25.0
+ 15.0
+
+
+
+ EvergreenBroadCover
+ EvergreenForest
+ Grassland
+ GrassCover
+
+ Terrain/rainforest-hawaii.png
+ Terrain/rainforest-patch.png
+ Terrain/grass_dry2a.png
+ Terrain/rock_red.png
+ Terrain/airport_grass2.png
+
+
+ 0.5
+ 0.8
+ 0.03
+
+ 2000
+ 2000
+ 900000000.0
+
+ 120000.0
+ Trees/caatinga-trees.png
+ 4
+ 8.0
+ 8.0
+ 0.7
+ 0.8
+
+
+
+ ShrubCover
+ ShrubGrassCover
+ Scrub
+ MixedCropPastureCover
+ MixedCrop
+ ComplexCrop
+
+ Terrain/rainforest-hawaii.png
+ Terrain/rainforest-patch.png
+ Terrain/grass_dry2a.png
+ Terrain/rock_red.png
+ Terrain/airport_grass2.png
+
+
+ 0.5
+ -0.03
+
+ 2000
+ 2000
+ 900000000.0
+
+ 120000.0
+ Trees/caatinga-trees.png
+ 4
+ 8.0
+ 8.0
+ 0.7
+ 0.8
+
+
+
diff --git a/Nasal/local_weather/local_weather.nas b/Nasal/local_weather/local_weather.nas
index b941fd9ca..95c9d8e2c 100644
--- a/Nasal/local_weather/local_weather.nas
+++ b/Nasal/local_weather/local_weather.nas
@@ -4532,7 +4532,7 @@ var ec = "/environment/config/";
# a hash map of the strength for convection associated with terrain types
-var landcover_map = {BuiltUpCover: 0.35, Town: 0.35, Freeway:0.35, BarrenCover:0.3, HerbTundraCover: 0.25, GrassCover: 0.2, CropGrassCover: 0.2, EvergreenBroadCover: 0.2, EvergreenNeedleCover: 0.2, Sand: 0.25, Grass: 0.2, Grassland: 0.2, Ocean: 0.01, Marsh: 0.05, Lake: 0.01, ShrubCover: 0.15, Shrub: 0.15, Landmass: 0.2, CropWoodCover: 0.15, MixedForestCover: 0.15, DryCropPastureCover: 0.25, MixedCropPastureCover: 0.2, MixedCrop: 0.2, IrrCropPastureCover: 0.15, DeciduousBroadCover: 0.1, DeciduousNeedleCover: 0.1, Bog: 0.05, Littoral: 0.05, pa_taxiway : 0.35, pa_tiedown: 0.35, pc_taxiway: 0.35, pc_tiedown: 0.35, Glacier: 0.03, SnowCover: 0.04, DryLake: 0.3, IntermittentStream: 0.2, DryCrop: 0.2, Lava: 0.3, GolfCourse: 0.2, Rock: 0.3, Construction: 0.35, PackIce: 0.04, NaturalCrop: 0.2};
+var landcover_map = {BuiltUpCover: 0.35, Town: 0.35, Freeway:0.35, BarrenCover:0.3, HerbTundraCover: 0.25, GrassCover: 0.2, CropGrassCover: 0.2, EvergreenBroadCover: 0.2, EvergreenNeedleCover: 0.2, Sand: 0.25, Grass: 0.2, Grassland: 0.2, Ocean: 0.01, Marsh: 0.05, Lake: 0.01, ShrubCover: 0.15, Shrub: 0.15, Landmass: 0.2, CropWoodCover: 0.15, MixedForestCover: 0.15, DryCropPastureCover: 0.25, MixedCropPastureCover: 0.2, MixedCrop: 0.2, ComplexCrop: 0.2, IrrCropPastureCover: 0.15, DeciduousBroadCover: 0.1, DeciduousNeedleCover: 0.1, Bog: 0.05, Littoral: 0.05, pa_taxiway : 0.35, pa_tiedown: 0.35, pc_taxiway: 0.35, pc_tiedown: 0.35, Glacier: 0.03, SnowCover: 0.04, DryLake: 0.3, IntermittentStream: 0.2, DryCrop: 0.2, Lava: 0.3, GolfCourse: 0.2, Rock: 0.3, Construction: 0.35, PackIce: 0.04, NaturalCrop: 0.2};
# a hash map of average vertical cloud model sizes