Using a Model MAP to prepare hydro-meteorological models for generic use

Structured environments for executing environmental numerical models are becoming increasingly common, typically including functions for discovering models, running and integrating them. As these environments proliferate and mature, a set of topics is emerging as common ground between them. This paper abstracts common characteristics from leading integrated modelling technologies and derives a generic framework, characterised as a Model MAP – Metadata (including documentation and licence), Adaptors (to common standards) and Portability (of model components). The idea is to form a gateway concept consisting of a checklist of elements which must be in place before a numerical model is offered for interoperability in a structured environment and at a level of abstraction suitable to support environmental model interoperability in general. Following comparison to the Component-Based Water Resource Model Ontology, the Model MAP is applied to DRIHM, an hydro-meteorological research infrastructure, as the initial use case and more generic aspects are also discussed. •A gateway set of requirements for legacy environmental model interoperability.•A route towards legacy environmental model standardisation.•Comparison to the Component-Based Water Resource Model Ontology.•Application of the Model MAP for a hydro-meteorological model eInfrastructure.•Applying the Model MAP to WRF-ARW and an OpenMI composition.