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DEVELOP MULTI-STRESSOR, OPEN ARCHITECTURE MODELING FRAMEWORK FOR ECOLOGICAL EXPOSURE FROM SITE TO WATERSHED SCALE
Impact/Purpose:
To plan, develop, and test the Multimedia Integrated Modeling System (MIMS), with focus on building software components (e.g. objects) capturing effective inter-media exchanges (e.g. ground-water/surface water), aquatic ecosystem response (e.g. fish health) and multiple scales (e.g. spatial, temporal) and collecting the resulting Measurements, Process Knowledge, Models, Development Tools, and Support into a proof-of-principle infrastructure. This objective is the umbrella objective for the subtasks and will be accomplished by reusing existing software developed by EPA or other government agencies to the extent possible. Three primary contributors to this effort in terms of existing technology are:
Models-3 and current work with NERL-AMD Task 3868.
DoE's PNNL and its Framework for Risk Analysis and Management of Environmental Systems (FRAMES) technology and current work on EPA's 3MRA for OSW. More information can be found at the URL www.mepas.pnl.gov:2080/earth
DoE's ANL and its Dynamic Information Architecture System (DIAS) technology and its current work to port DIAS to java. More information can be found at the URL www.dis.anl.gov/DIAS/
The guiding vision of MIMS is a powerful combination of these three existing technologies.
Description:
A number of multimedia modeling frameworks are currently being developed. The Multimedia Integrated Modeling System (MIMS) is one of these frameworks. A framework should be seen as more of a multimedia modeling infrastructure than a single software system. This infrastructure does not just contain models but much of the associated research that gives sufficient definition to the process knowledge to develop a model. The main items of this software system infrastructure are 1) Measurements, 2) Process knowledge, 3) Models, 4) Development tools, and 5) Support.
Measurements are the real world measurements that allow us to develop process knowledge and test models. These measurements might (and probably will) be used in assessments later for the Program Offices. An example of how measurements will be used in this infrastructure is a connect to the SPARC model and database. This infrastructure will contain a mechanism that allows models within it to access data where it resides. The access will be standardized but will not require reformatting on the part of the data gatherers.
Process knowledge is the collection of what processes are going on in a medium as well as interactions between media. This will be a collection of documents and references that allows a user of the infrastructure to make educated choices about the processes they need to simulate. (e.g., when does fractured flow occur and when is its impact significant on concentrations in an aquifer) This documentation could be very comprehensive and should be an accurate representation of the current state of the science behind a model.
Models represent the process knowledge that can be solved by automated means (computer programs). Some items that will be addressed by this infrastructure are the connecting together of complex numerical models into a single multimedia model. To insure correct use of models, the models, meta data will contain information about how to "correctly" use a model with other models. (e.g., a model that can only simulate mercury would not be allowed in a suite of models simulating benzene) Analysis, visualization and user data retrieval tools are considered from the large picture to also be models. This is not inconsistent with an object oriented design because many times the analysis, visualization or user data retrieval tools are often used as surrogates for a deliverable from a modeling study or even a medium in the environment. For example if surface water concentration have been measured for the time period of interest to a risk assessment, the data retrieval of the water concentrations really is a surrogate the surface water. It is important to note that often a data retrieval of this type is a more accurate approach than modeling the surface water.
Development tools allow users of the infrastructure (model developers) to efficiently incorporate new models in the infrastructure as well as construct new assessment tools by using models from the infrastructure. Development tools have two clients: 1) the model developers for construction of new models and wrapping existing models, and 2) the Program Offices for use in assessment tools.
Support links allow a module developer to find the information needed to make progress on model development effort and allow Program Office and other users to find the needed information in an assessment development effort. Like Development tools, the Support item of the infrastructure is focused on both the model developers as well as the Program Offices. This task will generate a proof-of-principle modeling infrastructure for evaluation by ORD scientists and the Program Offices.