Impact of changing computer technology on hydrologic and water resource modeling
- 1 March 1987
- journal article
- Published by American Geophysical Union (AGU) in Reviews of Geophysics
- Vol. 25 (2), 107-112
- https://doi.org/10.1029/rg025i002p00107
Abstract
The increasing availability of substantial computer power at relatively low costs and the increasing ease of using computer graphics, of communicating with other computers and data bases, and of programming using high-level problem-oriented computer languages, is providing new opportunities and challenges for those developing and using hydrologic and water resources models. This paper reviews some of the progress made towards the development and application of computer support systems designed to aid those involved in analyzing hydrologic data and in operating, managing, or planning water resource facilities. Such systems of hardware and software are being designed to allow direct and easy access to a broad and heterogeneous group of users. These systems often combine data-base management; simulation and optimization techniques; symbolic colored displays; heuristic, qualitative approaches; and possibly artificial intelligence methods in an interactive, user-controlled, easily accessible interface. Individuals involved in the use of such systems are not only those with technical training, but also those representing different interest groups and having non-technical backgrounds. The essential difference between what is happening now and the more traditional off-line, non-interactive approaches is that instead of generating solutions to specific problems, model developers are now beginning to deliver, in a much more useful and user-friendly form, computer-based turnkey systems for exploring, analyzing and synthesizing plans or policies. Such tools permit the user to evaluate alternative solutions based on his or her own objectives and subjective judgments in an interactive learning and decision-making process.Keywords
This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit:
- Interactive Simulation of Water Resource SystemsJournal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 1986
- Water Resource Management Decision Support SystemsJournal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 1986
- Computerized Decision Support Systems for Water ManagersJournal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 1986
- Parallel Supercomputing Today and the Cedar ApproachScience, 1986
- UTILIZATION OF MODELS IN WATER RESOURCESJawra Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 1986
- Modelling water resource systems: issues and experiencesCivil Engineering Systems, 1985
- Developing ‘Expert Systems’: Contributions from decision support systems and judgment analysis techniquesR&D Management, 1985
- Interactive water quality simulation in a regional framework: A management oriented approach to lake and watershed modelingEcological Modelling, 1984
- A mathematical basis for satisficing decision makingMathematical Modelling, 1982
- The Handbook of Artificial Intelligence, Volume 1Computer Music Journal, 1982