At the Kickoff meeting held in Rome of the project SpaceItUp, I briefly presented where Earth Observations could be introduced in a common configuration of the GEOframe-NewAGE model. The Figure summarizes where.
Dear All,
The anticipated salary for pre-doctoral and Ph.D. students is €1,350 per month (net), plus an additional €3,000 annually for supplementary activities. For postdoctoral researchers, the net annual salary ranges from €24,000 to €30,000, depending on individual qualifications and experience. Additional income opportunities may also be available. The cost of living in the region is more affordable compared to many other European countries.
The modeling-by-components (MBC) approach has been conceptually present for over 40 years (Holling, 1978). However, it is only in the past two decades that it has gained significant traction within the environmental modeling community (Argent, 2004). Often referred to as integrated environmental modeling (IEM), MBC arose from the need to analyze heterogeneous processes collectively, integrating knowledge across diverse disciplines (Moore and Hughes, 2017).
In the more specialized hydrological and meteorological domains, examples of MBC applications are relatively limited but include prominent frameworks such as TIME (Rahman et al., 2003), OpenMI (Gregersen et al., 2007), CSDMS (Peckham et al., 2013), ESMF (Collins et al., 2005), and OMS (David et al., 2013), RAVEN (Craig et al., 2020). A more comprehensive list can be found in Chen et al. (2020).
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| Figure from UniFHy v0.1. another modular framework to investigate |
MBC inherently supports a service-oriented architecture (SOA), a software design approach particularly suited for integrating heterogeneous data sources. SOA frameworks are designed to work across different machines and scales, accommodating a variety of hardware architectures. Importantly, SOA abstracts the computational details, allowing users to focus on modeling rather than the intricacies of the underlying engines. Infrastructures that do not implement such type of architecture, probably abuse the word "framework" and should be named differently.
Key Features of the MBC Approach:
1. Encapsulation and Testing:
The framework employs encapsulation, making code easier to inspect. Each component can operate independently within the system’s infrastructure and can be tested in isolation.
2. Ownership and Collaboration:
MBC allows for clear intellectual property ownership. Components are often developed by a small group of contributors, enabling diverse collaboration without dispersing efforts across thousands of lines of code. Adding new components is straightforward and does not require recompiling the entire system.
3. Component Substitution and Hypothesis Testing:
The modularity of MBC simplifies the replacement of components, making it a valuable tool for hypothesis testing (Beven, 2019).
4. Built-in Services:
Features like implicit parallelism and tools for model parameter calibration are provided seamlessly, reducing the burden on developers.
5. Flexibility Across Disciplines:
A well-designed MBC system allows for nearly unlimited composition of modeling solutions. Components can address tasks across disciplines, breaking down silos and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
In summary, the MBC approach offers a robust and scalable framework for tackling complex environmental modeling challenges. Its emphasis on modularity, flexibility, and interoperability makes it a powerful tool for advancing scientific understanding across domains.
Work in progress for now
Course Title: Advanced Topics in Snow Hydrology
Course Duration: 4 days (February 18-21)
Instruction Format: Collaborative teaching with structured lectures (morning) and hands-on exercises or fieldwork (afternoon).
Day 1: Introduction to Snow Hydrology and Snow Processes
Morning (Lecture Session)
Lead Instructor: Kelly
General Snow Hydrology: Overview of snow hydrology (20 min).
Snow Energy and Mass Balance: Energy and mass dynamics in snowpacks (30 min).
Lead Instructor: Giacomo
Snowfall Trends in the Alps: Historical and current trends; climate change implications (40 min).
Lead Instructor: Kelly
Snow-Climate-Forest Interactions: Influence of forests and climate on snow hydrology (30 min).
Mini-Lecture Discussion/Q&A: Interactive discussion (30 min).
Afternoon (Exercises)
Exercise 1: Snow Mass Balance Calculations (Instructor: Kelly)
Students calculate snow energy and mass balance using sample datasets.
Exercise 2: Snowfall Trend Analysis (Instructor: Giacomo)
Analysis of real-world snowfall data using statistical tools.
Day 2: Snow Modeling and Data Integration
Morning (Lecture Session)
Lead Instructor: Kelly
General Snow Modeling: Principles, methodologies, and applications of snow modeling (30 min).
Integration of Empirical Data into Snow Models: Role of observational data in improving model accuracy (30 min).
Lead Instructor: John
Snow Modeling with the GEOtop Model: Introduction and case study overview (60 min).
Lead Instructor: Riccardo
Permafrost and Permafrost/Snow Relations: Overview of permafrost and its interactions with snow (30 min).
Mini-Lecture Discussion/Q&A: Interactive discussion (30 min).
Afternoon (Exercises)
Exercise 3: Snow Model Setup and Calibration (Instructor: Kelly)
Hands-on setup of a snow model using provided datasets.
Exercise 4: GEOtop Model Introduction (Instructor: John)
Students use the GEOtop model to simulate snowpack-permafrost interactions.
Day 3: Remote Sensing and Advanced Applications
Morning (Lecture Session)
Lead Instructor: Michele
Integration of Remote Sensing and Snow Modeling in the GEOframe Model: Introduction and applications (60 min).
Lead Instructor: Riccardo
Permafrost/Snow Case Study: Detailed presentation of a case study highlighting snow and permafrost modeling (45 min).
Lead Instructor: Kelly
Forest/Snow Case Study: Detailed presentation of a case study highlighting snow and forest interactions in modeling (45 min).
Mini-Lecture Discussion/Q&A: Interactive discussion (30 min).
Afternoon (Exercises)
Exercise 5: Remote Sensing Data Integration (Instructor: Michele)
Using satellite data to improve snow model predictions in the GEOframe model.
Exercise 6: Case Study Application (Instructor: Riccardo)
Students apply knowledge of snow-permafrost interactions in a modeling scenario.
Day 4: Fieldwork and Integration of Concepts
Morning (Field Trip Preparation & Fieldwork)
Lead Instructor: Giacomo
Field Trip Introduction: Overview of field methods and objectives (30 min).
Field Data Collection:
Snowpack measurement techniques (density, SWE, snow depth).
Observations of forest-snow and permafrost-snow interactions.
Afternoon (Field Data Analysis and Wrap-Up)
Exercise 7: Field Data Integration into Models (Instructors: All)
Students analyze collected data and evaluate how to incorporate into GeoTop
Wrap-Up Discussion:
Synthesis of course concepts, student reflections, and Q&A (30 min).
Materials and Resources
Lecture slides and notes (provided by instructors).
Datasets for exercises and fieldwork preparation.
Access to GEOtop and GEOframe modeling tools.
Assessment
Pre-course quiz on foundational concepts (10%).
Participation in exercises and fieldwork (40%).
Final project integrating lecture topics, exercises, and field data (50%).
They told me that I should simply speak, without the aid of those tools and images I usually surround myself with. So, I’ll give it a try, speaking off the cuff and relying, forgive me, on some notes and a glass of water. Tracing back to the origin of water, we are drawn to the springs from which it flows. In reality, this bubbling forth is the result of an accumulation that pervades a portion of a mountain, a summary of underground stories and, in its most intense phases, even exposed to the sunlight.
This prehistory gives way to a constant and undeniable element of progress, from the source downwards. Now it is a stream, now a brook tumbling over rocks, now a river. With only minor diversions, there is but one direction—an accumulation. Time advances, entropy grows, aerial energy is both stored and dissipated. It’s not just water that flows; there’s sediment too, a piece of the mountain being carried toward the sea. Gutta cavat lapidem. Tectonic forces built it, and unyielding patience has worn it down.
Time accumulates, and there is a story that can only be remembered.
The above is the incipit of a performance-talk I gave a few years ago at MUSE. It is in Italian and you can find the notes here.
