The Digital Twin Earth Hydrology Platform, a ground-breaking step toward a virtual replica of the terrestrial water cycle, combines new high-resolution satellite observations and cutting-edge modeling to build a test environment for our planet. As the climate crisis unfolds and human impacts on the water cycle increase, the exceptionally detailed and complex modeling — incorporated in a simulation tool anyone can use — demonstrates the technology’s potential for managing water resources and mitigating water-related natural disasters.
The water cycle looks simple in theory — but human impacts, climate change, and complicated geography mean that in practice, floods and droughts remain hard to predict. To model water on Earth, you need incredibly high-resolution data across an immense expanse, and you need modeling sophisticated enough to account for everything from snowcaps on mountains to soil moisture in valleys. Now, scientists funded by the European Space Agency have made a tremendous step forward by building the most detailed models created to date.
“Simulating the Earth at high resolution is very complex, and so basically the idea is to first focus on a specific target,” said Dr Luca Brocca of the National Research Council of Italy, lead author of the article published in Frontiers in Science. “That’s the idea behind what we have developed — digital twin case studies for the terrestrial water cycle in the Mediterranean Basin. Our goal is to create a system that allows non-experts, including decision-makers and citizens, to run interactive simulations.”
A test environment for the planet
In engineering, a digital twin is a virtual model of a physical object which can be tested to destruction without doing real damage. A digital twin of the Earth, constantly updated with new data, would allow us to simulate best and worst-case scenarios, assess risks, and track the development of dangerous conditions before they occur. Such information is vital for sustainable development and protecting vulnerable populations.
To build their digital twin models, Brocca and his colleagues harnessed extraordinary volumes of satellite data, combining new Earth observation data that measures soil moisture, precipitation, evaporation, river discharge, and snow depth. These newly available data, crucial to the development of the model, includes measurements taken much more frequently across space and time: as often as once a kilometer and once an hour. Like a screen with more pixels, higher-resolution data creates a more detailed picture.
The scientists used these data to develop their modeling, and then integrated the modeling into a cloud-based platform which can be used for simulations and visualizations. This is the ultimate goal: an interactive tool anyone can use to map risks like floods and landslides and manage water resources. “This project is a perfect example of the synergy between cutting-edge satellite missions and the scientific community,” said Brocca. “Collaborations like this, coupled with investments in computational infrastructures, will be crucial for managing the effects of climate change and other human impacts.”