Great Lakes Modeling and Assessment Center (GLMAC)
Background
The GLOS-RA is a regional non-profit organization, under the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), that promotes accurate, comprehensive, timely, accessible and integrated information for the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence River, their coastal zones and their watersheds, including meteorologic, hydrologic, biologic, chemical, ecologic and economic conditions of the system.
One of the GLOS-RA's initial activities is to establish and promote creation of a Great Lakes Modeling and Assessment Center (GLMAC). While much modeling takes place across the region regarding its physical, chemical, biological, social and economic characteristics, there is currently no coordinative body through which modelers can share tools, resources, and knowledge to support development and implementation of regional policies dealing with pressing environmental and economic development issues. The GLOS-RA seeks to fill this void through the creation and operation of the GLMAC. With modest staffing and resources, the GLMAC will provide a virtual and networked environment for researchers, resource managers, policy developers and others to share expertise and to better define observational requirements to support both process and predictive modeling development and application. For many applications, multiple discrete models are involved and must be integrated through linkages and couplings. The GLMAC will help facilitate this integration of models, data, and assessment activities. Of particular interest, the GLMAC will provide a forum for integrating discrete model output with other data and information to develop assessments and scenario forecasts for Integrated Environmental Assessments.
In its inaugural year, the GLMAC has focused on inventorying existing modeling tools employed across the region, and defining the critical components of a multi-year GLMAC work plan including establishment of a formal GLMAC Steering Committee. Details on these activities are presented below.
An initial activity of the GLMAC has been to conduct an inventory and review of modeling and assessment tools that are in use throughout the Great Lakes basin and to provide access to these models (as much as possible) through an on-line "model clearinghouse."; The inventory provides an update to a Limno-Tech Inc. 2002 inventory, and in particular provides linkages to other types of models not included in that inventory, including those related to coastal processes, atmospheric transport/deposition and climate change. To access the GLMAC Model Clearinghouse, please CLICK HERE.
In order to guide the longer-term operation of the GLMAC, a 5-year work plan is being developed that will identify the key functions of GLMAC and the resources that will be needed to ensure its operation over the longer-term. Ideally the work plan will represent the GLMAC Steering Committee's concensus opinion on critical future tasks and operational requirements to initiate, maintain and operate the integrated model clearinghouse for the region. This work plan will identify staff requirements, suggested operational characteristics, and hardware/software needs. To view and contribute comments to the work plan as it evolves, please CLICK HERE.
GLMAC Steering Committee
A GLMAC Steering Committee has been established and consists of a number of individuals with Great Lakes modeling expertise from both the public and private sector, as well as from academic institutions. The Steering Committee meets once per month (via conference call) and is directly contributing to many of the initial GLMAC tasks including the model inventory and the 5-Year work plan. Conference call summary minutes are available HERE.
Hello Everyone:
This is the space where we will be building the Great Lakes Modeling and Assessment Center (GLMAC) home pages. It will include links and information related to the model inventory and assessment, as well as interactive pages that will allow GLMAC members to add information regarding the models, or contribute to the 5 year work plan that is being developed. These pages will evolve over the next few months as more informaton, including that from GLMAC group members, is added.
Cheers!
Chris