MizuRoute is a river model for simulating streamflow through user-defined, catchment-based vector river network. It takes runoff or lateral inflow (river model forcing) from a hydrologic, land surface model, or other data sources and routes water through rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. MizuRoute is designed for multiple applications, including stand-alone hydrologic and water-resources studies, regional and continental river-routing experiments, model intercomparison studies, and coupled Earth system modeling. MizuRoute supports parallel computing with Passing Interface (MPI), enabling multi-decdal to a century simulations over large and fine scale river networks such as regional, continental or global domains. We are also intereseted in expanding modeling capability, for example, tracers, stream temperature , data assimilations etc., as optional features, in addition to streamflow estimations.
MizuRoute is used in several ways:
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Hydrologic and water-resources modeling
MizuRoute can be applied to regional or continental river networks for hydrologic studies, practical water-resource planning such as climate-impact assessments, and hydrologic model evaluation via observed streamflow comparison. -
Coupled Earth System Modeling
MizuRoute can be used as a river model component in Earth System Model to study feedbacks from river to terrestial hydrologic system and discharge into oscean. -
Method development and community research
MizuRoute is intended to support development and testing of routing methods, lake/reservoir representations, network datasets, coupling strategies, and hydraulic or hydrologic process improvements.
mizuRoute is commonly used in two configurations:
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Stand-alone model Users provide river model forcing time series as well asl a river network to simulate streamflow, river storage, lake/reservoir volume, and related routing diagnostics. This is how majorty of users use. Please refer to getting started stand-alone mode
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ESM/land model coupled mode Currently, mizuRoute is coupled to Community Terrestrial Systems Model (CTSM), the land-model component of Community Earth System Model(CESM). For this use, river model forcing is directly from CTSM. Please refer to getting started CTSM coupled mode
Most new users interested in rive routing applications should begin with getting started stand-alone mode and mizuRoute documentation. Users interested in coupled Earth system simulations should consult the CESM/CTSM documentation in addition to the mizuRoute documentation.
mizuRoute is a multi-application, community river routing model. It supports stand-alone hydrologic and water-resources applications as well as coupled Earth system modeling applications, currently supporting CTSM and will be fully coupled with CESM. The project welcomes contributions including but not limited to, modernizing the code structure, improving model physics, numerical methods, input/output workflows, testing, documentation, and usability across these applications. Also other model coupling (hydrologic, land-surface, water quality) is also welcomed.
For small changes, such as documentation updates or minor bug fixes, contributors may open pull request directly. For larger changes, such as new routing schemes, changes to input/output formats, data-structure refactoring, or modifications that may affect CESM/CTSM coupling, contributors are encouraged to open a GitHub issue first. This allows maintainers and interested users to discuss the proposed augmentation, identify possible impacts on existing workflows, coordinate with ongoing development, and agree on a review strategy before implementation.
A suggested contribution process is:
- Open an issue describing the proposed change, motivation, expected application, and likely impacts.
- Discuss the proposed design with maintainers and interested community members.
- Develop the change in a feature branch in your fork.
- Add or update tests, examples, and documentation.
- Open a pull request for review.
To effectively work with mizuRoute, users and developers benefit from having the following working commands.
- Linux basic commands.
- python or similar other languages to analyze/visualize data, prepare for the input.
- Geographic Information System to develop and visualize river network data (recommended).
- Modern Fortran (fortran 90 or later), if a user desires to change the codes.
- git, if a user desires contributions to development.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Bureau of Reclamation
- NASA’s Advanced Information Systems Technology program
- National Science Foundation
mizuRoute is licensed under Apache 2.0