The document discusses a watershed modeling system called BCube that aims to decrease the effort of watershed initialization by brokering various global geospatial and environmental data required for watershed modeling. BCube allows researchers to focus on scientific research by providing a single access point to the different data formats and sources for elevation, soils, land use, weather, and other data needed to set up and run watershed models. The document provides an overview of the types of data BCube can broker and the workflow where a scientist requests data for a watershed area and BCube returns the available options to choose from.

1. Global Topography Based Watershed Parameterization
Watershed models require
data sets from the
geological, biogeochemical,
agricultural, space and
atmospheric sciences, with
no common set of data
formats, and different spatial
and temporal
characteristics. We will
demonstrate that the BCube
brokering can significantly
decrease the effort of
watershed initialization,
allowing researchers to
focus on the cross
collaborative scientific
research.
Weather Forcing Data
Watershed Management
Global and Regional Soils
Characterization
Global and Regional Landuse
Global Elevation Datasets
GDEM, SRTM, USGS

2. Hydrological/Watershed
Modeling Scenario Overview
Flow
Scientist zooms into area with extents
covering watershed
Area sent to broker which returns available
DEM options
Scientist chooses DEM, which the Broker
then returns projected and combined
DEM
Scientist runs through watershed
delineation
Area is sent to broker to obtain Soils
options, Landuse (FAO, NCDC, NASA),
historical weather (NCAR, NCDC), and
future climate (IPCC)
Data Requirements
Elevation (GDEM, SRTM, USGS), Soils
(FAO, SSURGO), Landuse (FAO,
NCDC, NASA), Historical Weather
(NCAR, NCDC), Short term forecasts
(NWS, NCEP), Future Climatology
(IPCC), and Stream Flow (USGS,
GRDC)
Frosting on the Cake
Broker locates additional sources of
weather forcing data, stream flow,
landuse, or other compatible datasets
for corroborating globally relevant
watershed models

3. Assumptions
The Hydrologist thinks the world is as data rich as
the experimental fields they have been
monitoring
The Hydrologist knows nothing about spatial data
manipulation
The Hydrologist knows nothing about temporal
data manipulation
The Hydrologist has used a GIS sometime during
their life
Hydrologists are experts in many different fields,
so we must assume each is ignorant in ours

4. Needs
GIS and standard data access connectors (WCS)

5. Global Topography Based Watershed Parameterization
Weather Forcing Data
Watershed Management
Global and Regional Soils
Characterization
Global and Regional Landuse
Global Elevation Datasets
GDEM, SRTM, USGS

6. First Examples
Study 1 – Influence of DEM Source and
Resolution on Regional Water Quality
Broker provides handles to:
USGS 3, 10, 30m DEMs
SRTM 90m
SRTM 30m
ASTER GDEM 30m

7. Simple and Quick Comparisons

8. Simple and Quick Comparisons

9. Global Topography Based Watershed Parameterization
Weather Forcing Data
Watershed Management
Global and Regional Soils
Characterization
Global and Regional Landuse
Global Elevation Datasets
GDEM, SRTM, USGS