Grand Challenges of the Future for Environmental Modeling, May 2006, Tucson, Arizona

[06:30367]基于计算机的建模活动对美国国家科学基金会所提议的环境观测站（EOs）的成功至关重要。模型提供了分析和综合大型和多样化数据库的能力，从而增加了对大型复杂环境系统行为的理解。从这个意义上说，模型是决策支持系统的重要组成部分。EOs的一个主要目标是能够预测未来的条件和系统行为，而基于计算机的模型是实现这一能力的唯一合理手段。在科学中，模型被广泛用于评估现有信息的充分性，反过来，用于定义信息缺口，并且模型将在EOs中用于确定需要收集哪些类型的信息来回答特定的科学问题。考虑到现场设施的复杂性（例如，传感器网络）和部署此类系统的高成本，EO规划者还希望使用模型来评估这些设施的最佳地理分布。简而言之，建模将是EOs中普遍存在的活动。设计这些天文台是为了改变科学家和工程师对大型复杂系统进行研究的方式。需要新的模型和建模方法来利用观测站将使用的网络基础设施和合作实验室。新类型的模型也将需要解决天文台将要研究的复杂问题。在EOs中开发适当的建模工具和平台的挑战有许多共同的因素。这次研讨会将于2006年5月在亚利桑那州的图森市举行，它是在EO社区的科学家和工程师之间建立合作的第一步，以比每个EO社区单独工作更有效的方式解决这些共同问题。研讨会将汇集来自以下NSF EOs的模型开发人员和模型用户：NEON和LTER， CLEANER和CUAHSI（水文观测站），它们组成了WATERS网络，以及OOI。这些人分别代表了生态学、环境工程学、水文学和海洋科学领域。

0630367 BeckComputer-based modeling activities are critically important to the success of NSF's proposed environmental observatories (EOs). Models provide the ability to analyze and synthesize large and diverse databases and thus provide increased understanding of behavior of large, complex environmental systems. In this sense, models serve as important components of decision support systems. A major goal of the EOs is to enable the forecasting of future conditions and system behavior, and computer-based models are the only reasonable means to achieve this ability. Models are used widely in science to evaluate the adequacy of existing information and conversely to define information gaps, and models will be used in the EOs to determine what kinds of information needs to be gathered to answer specific science questions. Given the complexity of the field facilities (e.g., networks of sensors) and high costs of deploying such systems, EO planners also expect to use models to evaluate in the optimal geographic distribution of these facilities. In short, modeling will be a pervasive activity in the EOs. The observatories are being designed to transform the ways scientists and engineers conduct research on large, complex systems. New kinds of models and modeling approaches are needed to take advantage of the cyberinfrastructure and collaboratories that the observatories will employ. New types of models also will be needed to address the complex questions that the observatories will be studying.There are many common elements to the challenge of developing appropriate modeling tools and platforms among the EOs. This workshop, which will be held in Tucson, Arizona in May 2006, is a first step in building collaborations among scientists and engineers from the EO communities to address these common issues in a more efficient manner than each EO community could achieve working separately. The workshop will bring together model developers and model users from the following NSF EOs: NEON and LTER, CLEANER and CUAHSI (Hydrologic Observatories), which comprise the WATERS Network, and OOI. These individuals respectively represent the fields of ecology, environmental engineering, hydrology, and ocean sciences.