Jim Waterman - Environmental Engineer and Unix Consultant
In the last 25 years computers in environmental engineering have moved
from a auxillary role to a primary analysis tool. Many regulatory decisions
now depend on "what-if" scenarios developed using computer simulation.
Numerous powerful tools have been developed for environmental assessments,
however the level of computer expertise required to apply these tools
remains excessive.
As with many computer applications many recent efforts have, in part
focused on developing user oriented graphic interfaces to existing computer
tools. GUI's address many of the current problems with environmnental
siumulations:
- removing the need for system level expertise
- avoiding manual editing and maintenance of simulation input files
- replacing rigid text file formats and obscure variable names with user friendly input mechnanisms and domain relevant terminology.
- Providing online help for simulation input requirements
- Providing schematic display methods for spatial system descriptions
- Providing graphical display methods for spatial and temporal values
- Restricting input requirements to those relevent to selected options
However developing a GUI to a environmental simulation only address
part of the problem. Developing environmental policy generally involves
numerous simulation unders alternative management strategies and suitable
tools must address the managment of the scenarios and facilate their rapid
comparison. A complete Ingrated Simulation System will also provide a scenario management framework to facilitate the development, storage, and comparison
of multiple scenarios.
The system listed below have been developed in part though support of the
Earth Sciences Branch of the US Bureau of Reclamation. These system address a wide variety of natural resource management concerns but share the following common characteritics:
- All are Unix based X11/Motif graphical systems
- Where Database management functions are provided the Ingres database
management system is used.
- Most employ existing computer tools for the analytic modules rather than implementing new code.
Example Systems
- Water Quality Simulation Integration
- Integrated Water Management Systems
- Hydross Simulation System (HSS/HYDROS)
- Calidad
- RSS
- Natural Resource Management Systems
- Habitat Assessment System (Habitat)
- Natural Resources Workstation (NRWS)
waterman@colorado.edu
Mathematical Models
Many environmental systems can be represented by mathematical expressions.
One common approach is to write mass balance on a specific constitiuent
The resulting differental equation is then usually solved by one of a
varity of numerical solution techniques.
Computer Simulation
Any real life system rapidly exceeds hand computations and require
implementation on a computer
Decision Support
However simulation of a natural system is only one step in the process of
developing environmental policy.
Integrated Simulation Support
Ingrated simulation support involves developing a user interface to the
existing tools and providing supplemental scenario management.
The Unix Computing Environment
Unix is ideally suited to this approach by combining virtual memory
management, preemptive mutil tasking, and native networking.
Water Quality Simulation Systems
In many water quality simulation a constitient mass balance is
solved numerically in a specific hydraullic system