Great Lakes Modeling and Assessment Clearinghouse
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 information about and 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 (DOWNLOAD), 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.
The models in this initial inventory will be categorized according to those models that relate to the key societal goals of GLOS which include: 1) Climate Change Forecasting; 2) Safety and Efficiency of Marine Operations; 3) Natural Hazard Mitigation; 4) National and Homeland Security; 5) Public Health Risks; 6) Protect and Restore Coastal Ecosystems; and 7) Sustained Use of Marine Resources. Other types of models will also be documented including those related to coastal processes and atmospheric transport/deposition.
This clearinghouse is intended to provide GLMAC members and modelers with an interactive "place of engagement" with both an opportunity to learn more about the specific models in each category, but also to allow the contribution of additional information about them including their strengths and weaknesses in certain applications or site specific areas, or any modifications or customizations required, and to provide links to any related documentation and information.
The Model categories are presented below. Click on a heading to see what models have been indexed to date under each category.
Models Related to GLOS Societal Goals
Climate Change Forecasting
Example Modeling Themes: 1) Forecast impacts of climate change on water levels and the effect of water levels changes on coastal wetland and dune biotic communities; 2) Forecast temperature and hydrology impacts on coastal water quality and ecosystem structure and function; 3) Forecast changes in the delivery of nutrients and contaminants to the lakes.
Safety and Efficiency of Marine Operations
Example Modeling Themes: 1) Forecast currents and waves and water levels in ports; 2) Forecast flooding.
Natural Hazard Mitigation
Example Modeling Themes: 1) Forecast storm-generated shoreline erosion.
National and Homeland Security
Example Modeling Themes: 1) Provide early warning of the fate and transport of dissolved and particulate water-borne chemical and microbial contaminants into the human food chain via surrogate water quality and physical parameter modeling; 2) Provide early warning of the fate and transport of airborne chemical and microbial agents into drinking water supplies.
Public Health Risks
Example Modeling Themes: 1) Assess human health effects of persistent toxic chemicals; 2) Forecast beach closings due to pathogen contamination; 3) Protect drinking water intakes from chemical and microbiological contamination; 4) Provide early warning and determine the causes, extent and duration of harmful algal blooms.
Protection and Restoration of Coastal Marine Ecosystems
Example Modeling Themes: 1) Forecast the spread of non-indigenous species invasions and their impacts on ecosystems; 2) Assess the ecological effects of persistent toxic chemicals; 3) Estimate wetland quantity and quality and determine their trends; 4) Determine the impacts of lakes levels, sedimentation and coastal erosion on nearshore biota and the faunal habitats they provide; 5) Forecast the magnitude, duration, spatial scale and trends of eutrophication impacts; 6) Forecast food web responses to abiotic and biotic perturbations (stressors).
Sustained Use of Marine Resources
Example Modeling Themes: 1) Forecast water usage trends and determine its sustainability under conditions of future climate change; 2) Support planning and design of wind power fields; 3) Provide models of sustainable commercial and recreational fisheries; 4) Protect of drinking water intakes from biological fouling.
Other Models
Coastal Process Models
Atmospheric Transport/Deposition Models
Related Model Inventories, Databases and References
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Council for Regulatory Environmental Modeling (CREM) Models Database (Website)
- This Models Knowledge Base (KBase) is an inventory of EPA's environmental models. Developed by EPA's Council for Regulatory Environmental Modeling (CREM), it is intended to provide information about how a model is used and about a model's underlying science. The Models Knowledge Base serves as a central repository, to facilitate model selection and provide pointers to the home pages for individual models. Each model's record includes three pages of information. The General Information page includes an overview of the model, contact information, and a link to the model's homepage. The second page, Model Use, provides information that is essential for potential users, including technical requirements (hardware, operating systems, and software), directions for obtaining (downloading) the model, and basic information on using the model (model inputs, model outputs, and the User's Guide). The final page, Model Science, includes sections on the conceptual basis of the model, scientific detail, model framework, and model evaluation.
- Limno-Tech, 2002 - Descriptive Inventory of Models with Prospective Relevance to Ecological Impacts of Water Withdrawls(PDF Document)
- This document presents a descriptive inventory of models with prospective relevance to ecological impact assessment of water withdrawals in the Great Lakes-St.
Lawrence Basin.
- Manno, J., et al., 2008 - The Use of Models in Great Lakes Decision Making - An Interdisciplinary Synthesis (PDF Document)
- This Synthesis Paper reports on four case studies of the use of computer models to inform decision making in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America. It describes and evaluates how models have been used in decision making, their strengths and weaknesses as decision tools, the way they have enhanced or undermined decision processes, and ways their use can be advanced. The research team interviewed thirty-five people and reviewed several documents in relation to four case studies in the Great Lakes in which models were an important feature: Phosphorus loadings (1970s); PCB Mass Balance (1980s); Lake Ontario Fish Stocking (1990s); and Water Level Regulation in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River (2000s).
- Wolfe, S.H., 2007 - An Inventory of Hydrodynamic, Water Quality and Ecosystem Models of Florida Coastal and Ocean Waters(PDF Document)
- Gulf of Mexico Alliance Water Quality Hydrodynamics Model Database (Zip File Containing Access Database)
This will be the main Model "Clearinghouse" page. Models will be "sorted" by the societal goals. Users will be able to drill down by category to learn about specific models. Ideally each individual model will ultimately have it's own "home page" with a brief description, applications, etc., as well as links to it for download or web use, as well as an interactive area where users can post informtion on model strengths, weaknesses, how they modified it, etc.
If you are aware of any model that fits under these categories, please add a comment that describes the model or provide a link to more information for me to use in building the model descriptions. I would appreciate this very much.