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OpenDrift is a software for modeling the trajectories and fate of objects or substances drifting in the ocean, or even in the atmosphere.
OpenDrift is open source, and is programmed in Python. As the software is very generic, it is rather a "framework" than a "trajectory model" in the traditional sense. Trajectory models for specific purposes (e.g. oil drift, search and rescue, larvae drift etc) may reuse all common functionality from the core model, and need only implement a Python Class describing the purpose-specific processes (physics/biology etc). See Requirements and Data model for more detailed information.
- Open source, GPL v2 license, providing full transparency - no black boxes
- Very simple installation, core OpenDrift requires only Python standard libraries
- Platform independent, runs on Linux, Mac/OS X, Windows
- Fast - typical simulation time is ~30 seconds for a 66 hour simulation with 1000 particles
- Modular, may simulate transport and fate of any kind of of particles (oil, ships, persons, icebergs etc.)
- Simple to make new modules, based on existing modules or blank template
- May use input forcing data (e.g. current, wind and waves) from any model, in any file format and any map projection
- avoids need to preprocess driver data
- map reprojection and vector rotation performed on-the-fly, using PyProj library
- may use input forcing from remote datasets (e.g. Thredds)
- May use backup driver models (e.g. current, wind, waves) for robustness if first choice is not available
- May run backwards in time by simply specifying a negative time step
- Output saved to CF-compliant netCDF files (but export modules may be written for other formats).
- Coming soon:
- Input from ensemble models
- Built-in graphical user interface (probably Tkinter-based)
OpenDrift is still in early development phase, and should be used with care for real studies and applications.
The latest version of OpenDrift can be downloaded from here or with Git:
git clone https://github.com/knutfrode/opendrift.git
OpenDrift and its dependencies is installed with the command:
python setup.py develop --user
The -user flag can be omitted if you want OpenDrift to be available for other users on the same machine.
The Basemap package must be installed separately. The recommended way is to first install Miniconda, and then install Basemap with the command
conda install basemap
OpenDrift has been tested on various Linux, Mac and Windows operating systems.
To test that OpenDrift works as expected, run the script 'testall' in the root folder. The last line of the output should report that all tests have been executed successfully.
For a demonstration of various capabilities, run some of the executable example scripts located in the opendrift folder (example.py, example_leeway.py etc). These examples will automatically download required wind and ocean current input data. Some examples use sample netCDF files provided in the test_data folder. If this works well, you may play with the model by editing the example scripts.
Here is a detailed explanation of the steps involved when running the model.
OpenDrift is licensed under GPL v2.0
OpenDrift is under development at MET Norway in cooperation with Institute of Marine Research. Please contact knutfd@met.no for any questions, or create an issue.