Reactive transport in surface sediments I. Mexity and software quality

  • Authors:

  • Filip J. R. Meysman;Jack J. Middelburg;Peter M. J. Herman;Carlo H. R. Heip

  • Affiliations:

  • The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Korringaweg 7, Yerseke 4401 NT, The Netherlands;The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Korringaweg 7, Yerseke 4401 NT, The Netherlands;The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Korringaweg 7, Yerseke 4401 NT, The Netherlands;The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Korringaweg 7, Yerseke 4401 NT, The Netherlands

  • Venue:
  • Computers & Geosciences - Special issue: Reactive transport modeling in the geosciences
  • Year:
  • 2003

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Abstract

Analysis of three recent diagenetic model codes (OMEXDIA, CANDI and STEADYSED) revealed that codes have a rigid, static and problem-specific character, leaving little autonomy for the application user. The resulting lack of flexibility and extensibility, and the associated need for ground-level reprogramming, constitutes a major barrier for potential model users. Present codes have apparently passed a critical threshold of code complexity, above which code development becomes time-consuming and expensive using the present procedure-oriented techniques. We have explored the advantages of object-oriented technology and the concept of a problem-solving environment to improve the quality of software for reactive transport modelling. A general blueprint for an object-oriented code for modelling early diagenesis is presented. The MEDIA environment consists of a toolbox of building blocks (element, species and process objects), which can be combined freely by the user to construct new models (without the need for recompilation). An object-oriented database stores current objects and accommodates new user-defined building blocks. Altogether, it is advocated that by improving the software quality, one can substantially lower the threshold for using model codes as an integrated data-aualysis tool.