Advancing the Open Modeling Interface (OpenMI) for Integrated Water Resources Modeling

The use of existing component-based modeling frameworks for integrated water resources modeling is currently hampered for some important use cases because they lack support for commonly used, topology-aware, spatiotemporal data structures. Additionally, existing frameworks are often accompanied by large software stacks with steep learning curves. Others lack specifications for deploying them on high performance, heterogeneous computing (HPC) infrastructure. This puts their use beyond the reach of many water resources modelers. In this paper, we describe new advances in component-based modeling using a framework called HydroCouple. This framework largely adopts the Open Modeling Interface (OpenMI) 2.0 interface definitions but demonstrates important advances for water resources modeling. HydroCouple explicitly defines standard and widely used geospatial data formats and provides interface definitions to support simulations on HPC infrastructure. In this paper, we illustrate how these advances can be used to develop efficient model components through a coupled urban stormwater modeling exercise

Advancing the Cyberinfrastructure for Integrated Water Resources Modeling

Like other scientists, hydrologists encode mathematical formulations that simulate various hydrologic processes as computer programs so that problems with water resource management that would otherwise be manually intractable can be solved efficiently. These computer models are typically developed to answer specific questions within a specific study domain. For example, one computer model may be developed to solve for magnitudes of water flow and water levels in an aquifer while another may be developed to solve for magnitudes of water flow through a water distribution network of pipes and reservoirs. Interactions between different processes are often ignored or are approximated using overly simplistic assumptions. The increasing complexity of the water resources challenges society faces, including stresses from variable climate and land use change, means that some of these models need to be stitched together so that these challenges are not evaluated myopically from the perspective of a single research discipline or study domain. The research in this dissertation presents an investigation of the various approaches and technologies that can be used to support model integration. The research delves into some of the computational challenges associated with model integration and suggests approaches for dealing with these challenges. Finally, it advances new software that provides data structures that water resources modelers are more accustomed to and allows them to take advantage of advanced computing resources for efficient simulations

A distributed data component for the Open Modeling Interface

As the volume of collected data continues to increase in the environmental sciences, so too does the need for effective means for accessing those data. We have developed an Open Modeling Interface (OpenMI) data component that retrieves input data for model components from environmental information systems and delivers output data to those systems. The adoption of standards for both model component input–output interfaces and web services make it possible for the component to be reconfigured for use with different linked models and various online systems. The data component employs three techniques tailored to the unique design of the OpenMI that enable efficient operation: caching, prefetching, and buffering, making it capable of scaling to large numbers of simultaneous simulations executing on a computational grid. We present the design of the component, an evaluation of its performance, and a case study demonstrating how it can be incorporated into modeling studies

Couplers for linking environmental models: scoping study and potential next steps

This report scopes out what couplers there are available in the hydrology and atmospheric modelling fields. The work reported here examines both dynamic runtime and one way file based coupling. Based on a review of the peer-reviewed literature and other open sources, there are a plethora of coupling technologies and standards relating to file formats. The available approaches have been evaluated against criteria developed as part of the DREAM project. Based on these investigations, the following recommendations are made: • The most promising dynamic coupling technologies for use within BGS are OpenMI 2.0 and CSDMS (either 1.0 or 2.0) • Investigate the use of workflow engines: Trident and Pyxis, the latter as part of the TSB/AHRC project “Confluence” • There is a need to include database standards CSW and GDAL and use data formats from the climate community NetCDF and CF standards. • Development of a “standard” composition which will consist of two process models and a 3D geological model all linked to data stored in the BGS corporate database and flat file format. Web Feature Services should be included in these compositions. There is also a need to investigate other approaches in different disciplines: The Loss Modelling Framework, OASIS-LMF is the best candidate

Advancing Water Resources Systems Modeling Cyberinfrastructure to Enable Systematic Data Analysis, Modeling, and Comparisons

Water resources systems models aid in managing water resources holistically considering water, economic, energy, and environmental needs, among others. Developing such models require data that represent a water system’s physical and operational characteristics such as inflows, demands, reservoir storage, and release rules. However, such data is stored and described in different formats, metadata, and terminology. Therefore, Existing tools to store, query, and visualize modeling data are model, location, and dataset-specific, and developing such tools is time-consuming and requires programming experience. This dissertation presents an architecture and three software tools to enable researchers to more readily and consistently prepare and reuse data to develop, compare, and synthesize results from multiple models in a study area: (1) a generalized database design for consistent organization and storage of water resources datasets independent of study area or model, (2) software to extract data out of and populate data for any study area into the Water Evaluation and Planning system, and (3) software tools to visualize online, compare, and publish water management networks and their data for many models and study areas. The software tools are demonstrated using dozens of example and diverse local, regional, and national datasets from three watersheds for four models; the Bear and Weber Rivers in the USA and the Monterrey River in Mexico

Introductory overview: the OpenMI 2.0 standard for integrating numerical models

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, explain and promote the Open Modelling Interface (OpenMI) version 2.0 standard for coupling environmental numerical models (simulations of environmental processes). It is intended to be accessible to readers of all levels of experience. During recent decades it has been recognised that the environment is made up of a complex set of interconnected processes. Therefore, understanding the environment requires not only understanding of the processes in isolation, but also the interactions between these processes. Traditional methods of simulating such environmental interactions have included passing the outputs of one numerical model into another or creating a single ‘super-model’ covering a variety of processes. OpenMI provides a standard method which could be applied to independent numerical model components allowing them to exchange data and therefore influence one another. This is achieved without fundamental changes to the core of the components themselves

Integrated environmental modelling: achieving the vision

Integrated environmental modelling (IEM) is a recent phenomenon that offers the opportunity to solve complex environmental problems. Whilst it has made great strides in recent years, there are still challenges to be met before IEM is universally accepted and used. This paper describes the current state of IEM and sets out a roadmap for achieving its full potential. A multidisciplinary, multi-agency approach will be required, the main goals of which are to: (1) raise awareness and build confidence in IEM; (2) ensure availability and accessibility of IEM techniques, tools and standards; (3) establish a minimum set of standards; (4) build the IEM skills base; (5) establish an underpinning research and development (R&D) programme; (6) co-ordinate and promote collaboration; and (7) foster IEM use by government, industry and the public. Once these goals have been achieved, then IEM can be deployed to help resolve currently intractable environmental issues, and the IEM methodology can be transferred to other fields

Web technologies for environmental big data

Recent evolutions in computing science and web technology provide the environmental community with continuously expanding resources for data collection and analysis that pose unprecedented challenges to the design of analysis methods, workflows, and interaction with data sets. In the light of the recent UK Research Council funded Environmental Virtual Observatory pilot project, this paper gives an overview of currently available implementations related to web-based technologies for processing large and heterogeneous datasets and discuss their relevance within the context of environmental data processing, simulation and prediction. We found that, the processing of the simple datasets used in the pilot proved to be relatively straightforward using a combination of R, RPy2, PyWPS and PostgreSQL. However, the use of NoSQL databases and more versatile frameworks such as OGC standard based implementations may provide a wider and more flexible set of features that particularly facilitate working with larger volumes and more heterogeneous data sources