DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2007.03.017

Summary
An interactive education-oriented simulation program that allows user to control the numerical model of ocean circulation in the Chesapeake Bay is presented in this paper. The authors describe the motivation to create a simple teaching tool which enables to analyze the results in real-time interaction and under different forcing conditions, such as wind speed and direction, rate of river flows and other parameters. They provide the scheme for software architecture to demonstrate the data and parameter flow between the main units of the system, that is, graphical user interface, numerical simulation, and the visualization modules. Each system unite is described in detail with the system requirements. Moreover, three case scenarios are described to demonstrate the possible capabilities to simulate normal circulation, wind effects, and plumes. User instructions and explanation of the observed effects are provided to give guidance in the learning process.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
The authors present an interactive educational geoscience simulation tool to simulate water height in Chesapeake Bay. Although water height simulation is performed only for this place, students can analyze phenomena of normal estuarine salinity and circulation, wind effects, plumes. During the demonstrations, students are guided by the instructions and develop critical thinking skills by defining the insights and relating the observed result to cause. Despite the knowledge in geoscience field, students gain competences in formulating mathematical equations, building numerical models, experimenting with boundary conditions, evaluating the feasibility of the obtained results.

Point of Strength
The strength of the article is that it presents an educational interactive tool which demonstrates water height simulation and can be used in various levels of educational institutions and museums to teach about features of the surface, wind mixing, wind-driven flow and other phenomena.