The Coastal Modeling System (CMS): A Coastal Processes Software Package

Abstract

The Coastal Modeling System (CMS) is a software package that organizes the Coastal Engineering Research Center's (CERC) larger numerical models and their supporting software into a useable system. The CMS includes time-dependent and time-independent long-wave hydrodynamics models, short-wave models, wind models, and sediment transport models. Since some of the models share similar input requirements and output capabilities, these portions of the models are standardized as much as possible. This standardization promotes efficiency because coding effort is reduced, new users learn the models in the system more rapidly, and chances for errors in entering input or interpreting output are reduced because of user familiarity with the system structure. Important factors which were addressed during system development included: maintenance of a single version of each model, standardization of the model input/output processes, selection of a central location where models reside, inclusion of versatile models with options for simulating a wide range of problems at different sites, and preparation of comprehensive model documentation in the form of a user's manual.