The Virtual Space Weather Modelling Centre

Abstract

Aims. Our goal is to develop and provide an open end-to-end (Sun to Earth) space weather modeling system, enabling to combine (“couple”) various space weather models in an integrated tool, with the models located either locally or geographically distributed, so as to better understand the challenges in creating such an integrated environment. Methods. The physics-based models are installed on different compute clusters and can be run interactively and remotely and that can be coupled over the internet, using open source “high-level architecture” software, to make complex modeling chains involving models from the Sun to the Earth. Visualization tools have been integrated as “models” that can be coupled to any other integrated model with compatible output. Results. The first operational version of the VSWMC is accessible via the SWE Portal and demonstrates its end-to-end simulation capability. Users interact via the front-end GUI and can interactively run complex coupled simulation models and view and retrieve the output, including standard visualizations, via the GUI. Hence, the VSWMC provides the capability to validate and compare model outputs.