Clear Creek Environmental Hydrologic Observatory: From Vision Toward Reality

该项目将开发软件“胶水”，将爱荷华大学现有的传感器、计算机硬件、软件和模型连接在一起，为一个名为“清溪环境水文观测站”（CCEHO）的原型环境观测站实现一个集成系统。使用该系统，一个由环境工程师、水文学家、水生科学家和计算机专家组成的跨学科团队随后将运行CCEHO，并评估是否真的有可能将各种技术（例如，无线传感器、关系数据库、现有仪器、模型和基于网络的协作工具）整合到一个端到端系统中，从而进一步推进环境科学的科学调查。CCEHO将用于确定和提高对爱荷华州山坡农业环境中影响水、沉积物和磷运输过程的理解，爱荷华州是美国土壤侵蚀率最高的地区之一。pi将把一系列的推广和教育活动与他们的科学计划结合起来。该项目是为美国国家科学基金会（NSF）的分布式环境观测项目“WATERS网络”（WATERS Network）开发使能技术的一系列试验台项目之一。

0607262JustThis project will develop the software "glue" to link together existing sensors, computer hardware, software, and models at the University of Iowa to achieve an integrated system for a prototype environmental observatory called the "Clear Creek Environmental Hydrologic Observatory" (CCEHO). Using this system, an interdisciplinary team of environmental engineers, hydrologists, aquatic scientists, and computer specialists subsequently will operate CCEHO and evaluate whether it really is possible to integrate the various technologies (e.g., wireless sensors, relational databases, existing instruments, models, and Web-based tools for collaboration) in an end-to-end system that furthers scientific investigation in environmental science. The CCEHO will be used to identify and improve understanding of processes influencing water, sediment, and phosphorus transport at the hillslope scale in the agricultural setting of Iowa, which has some of the highest soil erosion rates in the nation. The PIs will integrate an array of outreach and education activities with their science plan. This project is one of the suite of test-bed projects to develop enabling technologies for the WATERS Network, a distributed environmental observatory initiative of NSF.