Collaborative Research: Facility: CSDMS: Engaging a thriving community of practice in Earth-surface dynamics

河流洪水、山体滑坡、飓风、溪流蜿蜒和海岸侵蚀等自然过程不断地改变着地球的景观、海景和海岸线。从工程的角度来看，这样的过程可能对人造成危害，并可能破坏基础设施。从科学的角度来看，这些相同的过程也塑造了地球表面，形成了沉积沉积物，这些沉积物包含了有用的资源以及我们星球历史的重要档案。科学家用来研究地球表面过程的关键工具之一是计算机模拟建模。计算机模型使用方程和算法来模拟自然过程，提供了一种对地质系统进行控制实验的方法，并将理论与快速增长的地球动态环境数据体进行比较。数据和计算技术的最新进展为发现提供了新的可能性。为了释放这一潜力，该项目支持社区地表动态建模系统（CSDMS）地理信息学设施的持续运营，提供培训和技术开发，以弥合当今数字资源的力量与地球表面过程研究社区充分利用它们的能力之间的差距。CSDMS结合了智力优势（为地球科学研究提供新的和改进的数字资源）和更广泛的影响（为学生和早期职业科学家提供培训和劳动力发展）。数据和网络基础设施的最新进展为理解地球表面的动力学开辟了新的可能性。为了释放这一潜力，CSDMS设施将社区能力建设和技术开发相结合，以弥合当今强大的网络资源与研究社区充分利用这些资源的能力之间的差距。CSDMS为传统上代表性不足的群体提供培训、劳动力发展、在线学习资源和外联服务，同时提供创新的网络基础设施，通过降低技术壁垒加快科学的发展。CSDMS的智力价值在于它对发展对不同地球表面过程的定量、机械理解的贡献。这一目标的实现部分得益于新技术，例如将模型从在线存储库发布到云托管计算平台的能力，以及通过共享的、自动测试的存储库使社区软件贡献更具可持续性的新工具。CSDMS更广泛的影响包括教育和劳动力发展，通过诸如地球科学计算暑期学校、年度科学会议和现场培训访问等项目，为各种高等教育机构的学生和早期职业科学家提供教育机会。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Natural processes such river floods, landslides, hurricanes, stream meandering, and coastal erosion continually alter Earth's landscapes, seascapes, and coastlines. From an engineering perspective, such processes can pose hazards to people and can damage infrastructure. From a scientific perspective, these same processes are responsible for shaping the Earth's surface and creating the sedimentary deposits that contain useful resources as well as critical archives of our planet's history. One of the key tools that scientists use to study Earth-surface processes is computer simulation modeling. Computer models, which use equations and algorithms to simulate natural processes, provide a way to perform controlled experiments on geological systems and to compare theory with a rapidly growing body of data about Earth's dynamic environment. Recent advances in both data and computing technology have opened new possibilities for discovery. To unlock this potential, this project, which supports continuing operations of the Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System (CSDMS) Geoinformatics facility, provides training and technology development that will bridge the gap between the power of today’s digital resources and the ability of the Earth-surface processes research community to take full advantage of them. CSDMS combines intellectual merit, in the form of new and improved digital resources for Earth science research, and broader impacts, in the form of training and workforce development for students and early career scientists.Recent advances in both data and cyberinfrastructure have opened new possibilities for understanding the dynamics of Earth's surface. To unlock this potential, the CSDMS facility combines community capacity-building and technology development to bridge the gap between today's powerful cyber resources and the ability of the research community to take full advantage of them. CSDMS provides training, workforce development, online learning resources, and outreach to traditionally underrepresented groups, alongside innovative cyberinfrastructure that speeds the time to science by lowering technical barriers. CSDMS's intellectual merit lies in its contribution toward developing a quantitative, mechanistic understanding of diverse Earth-surface processes. This goal is advanced in part through new technology, such as the ability to launch models from an online repository to a cloud-hosted computing platform, and new tools to make community software contributions more sustainable via shared, auto-tested repositories. CSDMS's broader impacts include education and workforce development, through programs such as a summer school in geoscience computing, annual scientific meetings, and onsite training visits that provide educational opportunities for students and early career scientists at a variety of higher-education institutions.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.