Environmental Simulation and Modeling
Ecosystem research modeling efforts primarily focus on simulating the fate and transport of constituents within watershed areas (saturated and unsaturated soils, groundwater, surface waters and receiving waters). These constituents include:
- nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus)
- sediments (silt, clay, sand)
- toxic substances (petroleum products, pesticides, mercury)
Some Ecosystems researchers investigate how land-use practices (agriculture, urbanization, riparian zone alteration) affect this process through the alteration of surface water flow dynamics.
Other researchers focus on biotic components of natural systems including soil invertebrates, plants and fish communities. Researchers examine the response to external exposure and internal processing of these substances and, in the case of aquatic communities, the effect of flow regime on their habitat.
Below is a list of models currently under development, or in use, by Ecosystems Research scientists.
- Hydrology and Constituent Transport in Surface and Receiving Waters
- Hydrology and Constituent Transport in Subsurface Waters
- Wellhead Analytic Element Model (WhAEM)
- Hydrocarbon Spill Screening Model (HSSM)
-
Modeling Subsurface Petroleum Hydrocarbon Transport (ONSITE)
- Integrated Multi-Media Modeling
- Ecological Endpoint Modeling
- Aquatic Toxicity Model (AQUATOX)
- Bioaccumulation in Aquatic Systems Simulator (BASS)
- Riparian Ecosystem Management Model (REMM)
-
Watershed Modeling Tools under Development
Additional EPA Modeling Resources
- Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analyses
- Computational Chemistry
- Model Evaluation