Framework: Software: Collaborative Research: CyberWater-An open and sustainable framework for diverse data and model integration with provenance and access to HPC

This project addresses a high priority need for water research communities: interoperability among a wide variety of data sources and models, and integration of different computational models into water research communities. The project will develop an open and sustainable software framework enabling integration of hydrologic data and models for interdisciplinary teamwork and discovery. The models and datasets cover fields such as hydrology, biology, environmental engineering and climate. The project also addresses one of the key issues for extreme-scale computing: scalable file systems. The collaboration draws upon computing, modeling, and hydrology expertise at six institutions: University of Pittsburgh, University of Iowa, Ball State University, North Carolina State University, Indiana University, and the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI).

The project develops CyberWater, a community-driven software framework that integrates a wide range of models and datasets across disparate temporal and spatial scales. The CyberWater framework allows scientists to bypass challenges associated with model and dataset complexity. The project designs a model agent tool enabling users to generate model agents for common model types without coding, and integrates multiple existing software codes/elements that provide for broad-scale use. To develop such a diverse modeling framework, the project brings together hydrologists, climate experts, meteorologists, computer scientists and cyberinfrastructure experts. The project builds upon an existing prototype developed by the lead investigator; basic elements for the system were developed, consisting of plugged-in models and data sources with corresponding agents and a workflow engine allowing user workflow control. The prototype was successfully demonstrated for two models, making use of datasets plugged in from NASA, USGS and CUAHSI. For the current project, new models and datasets are added to the framework; the ability to use high performance computing resources is also incorporated. The team will use the CUAHSI HydroShare System to distribute CyberWater software and its associate model agents, including instructions on how to establish a local CyberWater environment, models and model agents. The project will enable substantial scientific advances for water related issues, and the solution can be applied to other research disciplines.

This award by the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure is jointly supported by the NSF Directorate for Geosciences.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.