System Integration with Multiscale Networks (Simon): A Modular Framework for Resource Management Models

Although the scientific community has proposed numerous models of Earth and human systems, there are few tools available that support the model coupling that is necessary to capture their complex interrelationships and promote further research cooperation. To address this challenge, we propose System Integration with Multiscale Networks (SIMoN), an open source modeling framework with a novel methodology for supporting heterogeneous geospatial regions. SIMoN enables users to define consistent aggregation and disaggregation maps for transformation between disparate notions of geospatial units such as counties, watersheds, and power regions. We have applied this unique tool to couple models across domains including as climate, population, and food-energy-water (FEW) systems.