MOPEX Welcome Page

All hydrologic models and land surface parameterization schemes in atmospheric models contain coefficients and exponents known as model parameters. These parameters vary spatially and are unique to each computational element. For large scale model applications and for prediction in ungaged basins, model parameters must be estimated a priori. Model performance is highly sensitive to the values assigned to the model parameters. Improved methods for parameter estimation are needed and data from a wide range of climate regimes throughout the world are required. Toward this end, the international Model Parameter Estimation Experiment (MOPEX) project was proposed in 1996. The Global Energy and Water Cylce Experiment (GEWEX) Hydrometeorology Panel (GHP) endorsed the MOPEX concept at its Toronto meeting, August 1996. MOPEX was subsequently adopted as projects of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS)/World Meterological Organization (WMO) Committee on GEWEX and of the WMO Commission on Hydrology. Scientists from many countries have participated in MOPEX organized activities including three international MOPEX workshops and numerous numerical experiments. MOPEX has also partnered with other international projects including the Coordinated Enhanced Observation Periods (CEOP) sponsored by GEWEX and the Prediction in Ungaged Basins (PUB) project sponsored by IAHS. MOPEX is an open international collaborative endeavor. Those who are interested in MOPEX are welcome to contribute and to participate.

 

MOPEX Primary Goal

The primary goal of MOPEX is to develop techniques for the a priori estimation of the parameters used in land surface parameterization schemes of atmospheric and hydrological models.