Peter Haggert describes a model as “the creation of an idealized representation of reality in order to demonstrate its most important properties.” It is therefore a controlled simplification of the world, a reasonable representation of reality towards a desired purpose. Models can be composed as a physical construct or as simply as information. This picture is of a model that represents the Columbia ice-field, illustrating for us the beginning of the North Saskatchewan river. The idealized structure of this model allows us to understand in concept what it means for a river to begin at the glacier, but it is not able to account for the change in landscape that comes over time via erosion and recession of the glacier, or accurately represent the intricacy of the terain. In this case, the physical model is static. A model of information (such as a digital elevation model) is able to be dynamic, manipulated in order to suit the dynamic situations we find in nature. (Note: That is my ring in the North Saskatchewan)
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