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unifhy-org / unifhy

A Unified Framework for Hydrology
https://unifhy-org.github.io/unifhy
BSD 3-Clause "New" or "Revised" License
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Rename states for prognostics? #65

Closed ThibHlln closed 2 years ago

ThibHlln commented 2 years ago

I had named "states" those model variables that need initial values to start model integration. These variables are the ones being allocated memory, and being recorded in dump files to allow for model resuming after crashing. This is a name commonly used in hydrological models for such variables.

However, in atmospheric models and by extension land surface models, these variables are named "prognotics".

Now, in physics/thermodynamics, "state variables" are the ones you find in "equations of state", and it appears that not all "state variables" meet the requirements of needing initial values to start model integration, which to me seems to explain why the term "prognostic" is used (i.e. not all state variables are prognostics).

So I am questioning which term we should use, as I don't think "prognostic" will speak to most hydrologists, while if it is misleading to use "state" because it leads to confusion with the physics?

rich-HJ commented 2 years ago

Personally I think state is fine. While you may be correct about the strict definition of "state", the fact that hydrologists will understand this is probably more important.

ThibHlln commented 2 years ago

Let's keep state then.