Environmental Modelling Flashcards

Flashcards based on lecture notes about environmental modeling.

Environmental Model

Mathematical representation of environmental behaviour/dynamics based on the laws of physics, simplifying assumptions etc.

Parameter

Remains constant through time in an environmental model.

Variable

Changes as the model progresses in an environmental model.

GIS 'Bathtub' Approach

A type of flood and inundation model in GIS that doesn't consider hydraulic connectivity.

Hydrodynamic Models

Flood models that may use a structured (raster-based) grid, bed friction, gravity, and topography.

TELMAC-20

A hydrodynamic model that uses triangles to apply variable spatial resolution.

Hindcasting

Predicting the past to validate a model's ability to predict the future.

Drainage Design Models

Models that simulate water flow in one direction at each axis, not considering lateral or vertical movement.

Geomorphology Models

Models that simulate wave action and sediment movement to predict changes in beach profile and bed level.

Physics-Driven Geomorphology Models

Models that take into account every factor affecting geomorphology, useful in the short term.

Behavior-Oriented Geomorphology Models

Models that assume the beach profile remains fixed in time and space, useful for long-term predictions, but theoretically/physically wrong.

Hybrid Geomorphology Models

Models that maintain a physics approach, using outputs from sediment transport to apply to a behavior-oriented approach.

Ecological Niche Modelling

A GIS-based model based on existing environmental conditions that suggests changes in species distribution.

Model Selection Considerations

Goals, structure, outputs, inputs, and accessibility are important when choosing an appropriate model.