A data porting tool for coupling models with different discretization needs

TL;DR

This paper introduces an open-source tool that converts rectangular raster data into hexagonal raster format, enabling flexible model coupling in biogeochemical landscape simulations.

Contribution

It presents a novel algorithm for data porting that constructs hexagonal rasters from rectangular data with geometry-independent cell sizing, validated through theoretical and real terrain data.

Findings

The algorithm accurately reconstructs polynomials up to degree three.

Error analysis confirms the method's precision on theoretical cases.

Validation with real terrain data demonstrates practical applicability.

Abstract

The presented work is part of a larger research program dealing with developing tools for coupling biogeochemical models in contaminated landscapes. The specific objective of this article is to provide the researchers a tool to build hexagonal raster using information from a rectangular raster data (e.g. GIS format), data porting. This tool involves a computational algorithm and an open source software (written in C). The method of extending the reticulated functions defined on 2D networks is an essential key of this algorithm and can also be used for other purposes than data porting. The algorithm allows one to build the hexagonal raster with a cell size independent from the geometry of the rectangular raster. The extended function is a bi-cubic spline which can exactly reconstruct polynomials up to degree three in each variable. We validate the method by analyzing errors in some theoretical case studies followed by other studies with real terrain elevation data. We also introduce and briefly present an iterative water routing method and use it for validation on a case with concrete terrain data.