About NERC Model Metadata

The increasing interest within NERC and the wider environmental science community generally in the use of models to understand the interactions between systems has resulted in an increasing focus on environmental modelling, and specifically on linking different models together to solve environmental problems.
Over recent years it has become increasingly apparent that to realise maximum benefit from the resource investment in environmental/earth science models it is necessary to record a rich level of model metadata information. For example this metadata will include attributes such as which environmental/earth science discipline is involved, which parameters are input and output in the modelling process.
The metadata information recorded covers "discovery metadata" - required to help users discover and locate the existence of models, and also descriptive or "usage" metadata which is of relevance when making use of a model, for example when using a model code developed by another researcher.
NERC have previously funded the development of a model metadata database under the NERC PURE (Probability Uncertainty and Risk in the Environment) Programme. This metadata schema is applicable to a wide variety of environmental/earth science models as well as hazard and catastrophe models and underpins this NERC metadata application.
Searching the metadata database:
This website provides freely available model metadata focussing on NERC funded environmental and earth science models . Metadata is also included for a number of other publically available models of potential interest to researchers, with the aim of encouraging discovery and re-use of models within the environmental and earth sciences.
This web portal thus allows searching of model metadata and does not store the model files themselves nor the data used to create them. However, links are frequently provided to additional resources external to this website, for example to documentation about a model on other websites, or to download model codes. In many cases these links are also openly available, but in certain cases access may be subject to terms and conditions imposed by the owners of the external resource. In the case of any query over the accessibility or content of linked resources external to this website please contact the individual(s)/organisations(s) identified as the contact for the model metadata in question, in the first instance.
The model metadata is designed around two central concepts - the model code used to run the model and the individual applications of the model code here termed "model instances". Hence the search facilities available under the "Search" tab on the menu allows searching of both model codes and model applications or instances.
The "Search by subject" interface provides a high level search particularly geared to the needs to decision makers and other users who may not be specialist modellers.
The "Search by location" allows the user to query the metadata database using as web based GIS front end. Access is provided to metadata about NERC models and also environmental models from other sources (e.g. from Peer reviewed papers, and models produced under the PURE programme) with the aim of providing a wide range of models to re-use.

Submitting metadata for inclusion:

We are keen to encourage submission of additional metadata to the database, both from NERC funded projects involving modelling but also from other sources. Please note we will not keep versions of the model only metadata The "Add your model" menu option allows downloading of spreadsheets which can be filled in and returned to us for inclusion in the database, spreadsheets should be mailed to ngdc@bgs.ac.uk.