The modular modeling system (MMS) - The physical process modeling component of a database-centered decision support system for water and power management

The Modular Modeling System (MMS) is an integrated system of computer software that is being developed to provide the research and operational framework needed to support development, testing, and evaluation of physical-process algorithms, and to facilitate integration of user-selected sets of algorithms into operational physical-process models. MMS uses a module library that contains compatible modules for simulating a variety of water, energy, and biogeochemical processes. A model is created by selectively linking modules from the library using MMS model-building tools. A geographic information system (GIS) interface also is being developed for MMS to support a variety of GIS tools for use in characterizing and parameterizing topographic, hydrologic, and ecosystem features visualizing spatially and temporally distributed model parameters and variables, and analyzing and validating model results. MMS is being coupled with the Power Reservoir System Model (PRSYM) to provide a database-centered decision support system for making complex operational decisions on multipurpose reservoir systems and watersheds. The U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Reclamation are working collaboratively on a project titled the Watershed Modeling Systems Initiative to develop and apply the coupled MMS - PRSYM models to the San Juan River basin in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.