Informatics
Our informatics programme is concerned with the modelling of physical processes as well as the the analysis, collection, classification, manipulation, storage, retrieval and dissemination of information.
We have an extensive hydroinformatics programme that addreses urban flood modelling (CityCAT), catchment hydrology (SHETran), rainfall and weather simulation (Rainsim, UKCP09 weather generator) and water resource systems modelling (Upper Thames Water Resource model and the UK water resource model). 
Some of these can be downloaded or accessed from the Software page.
Our GeoInformatics programme deals witht he management and efficient use of the large and complex datasets generated by monitoring and modelling activities represents a substantial research challenge for spatial-temporal databases. Central to our research programme is ongoing development of geospatial-temporal database facilities for Earth Systems Engineering applications that fuse multi-source geospatial data. A suite of spatial data-mining, correlation and knowledge discovery tools tailored for Earth Systems Engineering applications are being used to extract relevant variables to facilitate the deployment of our simulation models and decision-support tools. Examples include modelling our environment spatially to simulate and predict the effects of climate change, using satellite imagery to track landscape change in remote areas and integrating real-time data into real-time modelling.
Key publications
CityCAT urban flood model - Cloud project report PDF 1,227Kb
CityCAT is an urban flood modelling, analysis and visualisation tool which uses very accurate and computationally efficient solutions for free surface flow equations. In this pilot project a Cloud Computing compatible version of CityCAT was developed, this enabled modelling of flooding of larger domains (up to 1,100km2) with much higher resolution (up to 16,000,000 computational cells) than has been done previously. This project has demonstrated that the use of Cloud Computing can enable efficient and detailed modelling of flooding at a city or even regional scale, with high resolution, using standard terrain and rainfall data and Cloud enabled software which does not impose limitations on the computational domain size.