/snowBMI

A simple temperature-index snow model with a Basic Model Interface

Primary LanguagePythonOtherNOASSERTION

snowBMI

Description: This simple, temperature index snow model includes an implementation of the Basic Model Interface (BMI). It's meant for demonstration purposes, but feel free to use it however you like. I'd recommend it mostly for snow modeling, but you do you.

BMI is developed by the CSDMS group at CU Boulder. Much of the BMI code here is from their heat example.

Dependencies

This is a simple bit of Python code developed with Python 3.9. The snowBMI module requires:

The example also requires:

Installation

First install the BMI Python bindings using the CSDMS instructions. Next, build the model by going to the main level of the snowBMI directory and running:

pip install -e .

Usage

This model comes with an example Jupyter Notebook so you can see how the BMI functions work to control model execution and the handling of data.

examples/run-model-from-bmi.ipynb

To note, the example comes with its own SNOTEL forcing data, but you can create your own using the R code in tools.

Known issues

This is but a simple model that makes several assumptions. They are:

  • Snow hydrology is ignored (if melt is produced then it immediately disappears from the snowpack)
  • Rainfall is added to snowmelt so that the melt term represents a land surface water flux
  • The model is configured for a daily timestep
  • Date handling is only done by a day of year tracker in the code (i.e., there is no explicit handling of POSIX-formatted datetimes)

Reporting issues, getting help

If you see any bugs, errors, etc., please use this repo's Issue Tracker. You can also make any requests for help there.

Open source licensing info

LICENSE

Credits and references

  1. BMI from CSDMS
  2. The BMI Python heat example
  3. Temperature index snow models like Snow-17 and the equations in DeWalle and Rango (2008)
    • Anderson, E. A. "Snow accumulation and ablation model–SNOW-17." US National Weather Service, Silver Spring, MD 61 (2006).
    • DeWalle, David R., and Albert Rango. Principles of Snow Hydrology. Cambridge University Press, 2008.
  4. The Next Generation Water Prediction Capability project at the NOAA-NWS Office of Water Prediction