The architecture and prototype implementation of the Model Environment system

International audienceAn approach that simplifies software development of the model based decision support systems for environmental management has been introduced. The approach is based on definition and management of metadata and data related to computational model without losing data semantics and proposed methods of integration of the new modules into the information system and their management. An architecture of the integrated modelling system is presented. The proposed architecture has been implemented as a prototype of integrated modelling system using. NET/Gtk{#} and is currently being used to re-design European Decision Support System for Nuclear Emergency Management RODOS (http://www.rodos.fzk.de) using Java/Swing

DeltaShell - an open modelling environment

Over the last two years an open modelling environment has been developed by the Dutch research institute Deltares. Main goal of the development was to create a solid software platform for running 1D, 2D and 3D environmental models. The system allows creating, storing and visualizing different types of environmental data, like time series, networks, GIS features, and other data types defined in the spatio-temporal domain. The architecture of the system, due to its modular and open design, can also support a wide range of other applications such as GIS data management, management and analysis of the hydrological data. The present version of the system makes extensive use of the open-source libraries such as SharpMap, GeoAPI, NetCDF, NHibernate, SQLite, PostSharp; some of those libraries were significantly extended and will be made freely available to the community

Next Generation Hydro Software

A few years ago Deltares started a large multidisciplinary project named Next Generation Hydro Software. The main focus of the project is to improve, harmonize and integrate existing hydro software that has been developed throughout the years. Important technological innovations include development of the new computational core D-Flow Flexible Mesh, as well as the user-friendly, open modelling environment Delta Shell. The project involves more than 40 scientists and software engineers. The new integrated system will allow both water managers and modellers to do their work better and faster. The unique characteristic of the project is that it focuses on the possibility of setting up integrated models of the whole aquatic chain from the source to the sea, resulting in complex model configurations. The challenges further increase because of the involvement of experts from many different fields within the aforementioned aquatic chain. Furthermore, the project addresses the complete workflow of a modeller, including model setup, calibration and validation. For this purpose the system includes new scientific visualization, analysis and interactive modeling tools that enable users to improve their understanding of the modelled processes. Applications of the system show the successful integration of 0D (lumped hydrological models and real-time control rules), 1D (river flow and water quality models) and 2D/3D model components (river, estuary and coastal areas). In this paper some of the preliminary results of the project are demonstrated, as well as its current status and a preview of possible future developments

RivWidthCloud: An Automated Google Earth Engine Algorithm for River Width Extraction from Remotely Sensed Imagery

The wetted width of a river is one of the most important hydraulic parameters that can be readily measured using remote sensing. Remotely sensed river widths are used to estimate key attributes of river systems, including changes in their surface area, channel storage, and discharge. Although several published algorithms automate river network and width extraction from remote sensing images, they are limited by only being able to run on local computers and do not automatically manage cloudy images as input. Here we present RivWidthCloud, a river width software package developed on the Google Earth Engine cloud computing platform. RivWidthCloud automatically extracts river centerline and widths from optical satellite images with the ability to flag observations that are obstructed by features like clouds, cloud shadows, and snow based on existing quality band classification. Because RivWidthCloud is built on a popular cloud computing platform, it allows users to easily apply the algorithm to the platform's vast archive of remote sensing images, thereby reducing the users' overhead for computing hardware and data storage. By comparing RivWidthCloud-derived widths from Landsat images to in situ widths from the U.S. and Canada, we show that RivWidthCloud can estimate widths with high accuracy (root mean square error: 99 m; mean absolute error: 43 m; mean bias:-21 m). By making RivWidthCloud publicly available, we anticipate that it will be used to address both river science questions and operational applications of water resource management

Benefits of the use of natural user interfaces in water simulations

The use of natural user interfaces instead of conventional ones has become a reality with the emergence of 3D motion sensing technologies. However, some problems are still unsolved (for example, no haptic or tactile feedback); so this technology requires careful evaluation before the users can benefit from it. We argue that the best benefits can be achieved when these natural user interface technologies are combined with classical computer interaction devices such as mouse and keyboard. In our demonstration, we will show how the LEAP Motion controller can be applied in environmental modeling when combined with the shallow water flow model engine D-Flow Flexible Mesh and a 3D scientific visualization library. We will analyze where the new approach provides benefits compared to the classical computer input devices such as mouse and keyboard. We will also demonstrate a number of visualization and interaction techniques used during manipulation of model input data (bathymetry, roughness, etc.) or during exploration of the results of a running morel

Interactive web-based flood modeling at country wide scale and plantar size resolution

The flooding of rural and urban areas is an increasing hazard to society. Accurate and timely predictions are essential for the water manager to prepare and respond to these hazards. Predicting flooding requires a numerical model that represents the physical processes (rain, evaporation, infiltration, overland flow, groundwater flow). This model, fed with measurements, and possible measures, calculates the expected flooding. The traditional working method consists of a three step process: schematization setup, running and post-processing, with a total feedback time of hours. This process is suitable for confirmatory modeling. Most of the time, models are applied exploratory, requiring a different workflow. Enabling exploratory modeling requires a shift in utilization of the instrument. Stakeholders are in control and together evaluate ideas by interacting with the model through a mobile compatible website, supported by the modelers’ expertise. Enabling this type of interactivity requires a new level of performance. The 3Di platform, in which the new approach was applied, consists of a new flooding and hydrological Model (1D/2D) with a corresponding cloud based infrastructure. Applications in rural and urban areas of O (1000km2) at a resolution of O (0.1m) have shown its capabilities for both exploratory and confirmatory modeling. The ambition that every component should be at least a 100 times faster than the previous approach, resulted in several advancements, both in the numerical engine and the software that interacts with the user and pushes the data to the web. Here we show advancements in the architecture and model communication

OpenMI 2.0 - What\u27s new?

The first version of the OpenMI standard was developed as a joint effort of several European research organizations. OpenMI stands for Open Modelling Interface and aims to deliver a standardized way of linking environmental models at run-time. In the new version of the standard several new goals were defined based on experience obtained during migration and use of the OpenMI-compliant models. This includes on one side different IT aspects such as better object-oriented design of the standard and re-use of well-known engineering practices and patterns. On the other side, after successful implementation of OpenMI in many environmental models it was also decided to extend scope of the OpenMI standard to a broader set of applications such as GIS data types, monitoring databases, running models in parallel (versus sequential pull-driven approach), improved workflow management and many others. This paper gives the details of OpenMI 2.0