EEMS 12.1 Now Available
We are very pleased to announce the release of EEMS 12.1. Enhancements to the EFDC+ code are described below along with improvements and bug fixes to EFDC+ Explorer and Grid+. The setup package can be downloaded in the link below. This package also includes the latest theory document for EFDC+ 12.
EFDC+ Enhancements
COARE 3.6 Integration
COARE is one of the most frequently used algorithms in the air-sea interaction community. It is designed to give estimates of the turbulent fluxes of sensible and latent heat and the stress from inputs of bulk variables. With the release of EEMS 12.1, the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code Plus (EFDC+) will allow users to simulate these fluxes by incorporating the COARE subroutines. See our blog posts for details on the feature implementation and its application in Lake Mendota.
Vertical Layering Enhancements
A new vertical layering option following the Sigma-Zed (SGZ) approach has recently been added to EEMS. The new SGZ scheme allows users to specify layer thickness in meters from the water surface. It offers significant flexibility in configuring the vertical layering system, complementing the existing options, including the original Sigma Stretch (SIG) and the current Sigma-Zed (SGZ).
Volatilization Option
When simulating chemical fate and transport, volatile chemicals at the air-water interface frequently off-gas from the water into the atmosphere. The Chemical Fate module in EEMS is designed to work primarily in conjunction with the Sediment module, as the toxic substances sorb to sediments. In cases where sediment data is sparse or missing altogether, using a dye class as a proxy for the dissolved chemicals is recommended. To help users more accurately simulate this case, a volatilization component has been added to the dye proxy. Read More
3 Time Level Scheme Updates
A number of improvements have been made to the 3 Time Level (3TL) computational scheme. This numerical solution option is often more stable and faster than the 2 Time Level (2TL) scheme since it allows a larger computational time step. However, the 3TL scheme was not fully implemented in the original EFDC from Hamrick. DSI has updated 3TL to work with both EFDC+ parallel computing options (MPI & OMP). We also fixed several bugs in the code so 3TL has now become our favored solution option for hydrodynamic models.
NetCDF Updates
EFDC+ has recently been integrated into studies as part of the Delft-Flood forecasting and Early Warning System (FEWS) platform. Delft-FEWS is open software using a modular framework to link big data to a local area or from other modeling systems. In this study, EFDC+ was required as one of the modules, and the NetCDF capabilities were required to be updated to the latest convention to allow seamless integration. Some of the improvements for EEMS 12.1 include:
- Upgraded NetCDF CF Conventions 1.4 to 1.11
- Upgraded to UGRID 1.0 Conventions
- Fixed standard names and units according to NetCDF CF Conventions 1.8 checker
EFDC+ Explorer Enhancements
Temperature Options Update
Several significant enhancements have been made to the temperature module settings in EEMS 12.1. These changes to the user interface reflect new computational options and updates in the EFDC+ code and facilitate a more efficient workflow. Learn more about these changes in this blog post, which also highlights some recently developed features that will be available in future releases.
Bug Fixes and Improvements
A significant number of bug fixes have been made to EFDC+ Explorer to improve the user experience. A full list of changes to EE can be viewed here.
Grid+ 1.2 Enhancements
Grid+ has now been updated to version 1.2. A number of bugs have been fixed, and several new features have been added. These include the options:
- Squeeze the grid by removing inactive grid nodes
- Refine the grid based on guide points from an adjacent grid