×

Screenshot of WILSIM-GC simulation prior to any erosion. Slider bars control input parameter values and viewing perspective.

Provenance: WILSIM project
Reuse: This item is offered under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ You may reuse this item for non-commercial purposes as long as you provide attribution and offer any derivative works under a similar license.

Start Using WILSIM-GC

Getting Started

WILSIM-GC is a computer simulation that allows the user to explore the development of the Grand Canyon over time. To get started using the model, we recommend that you:

• Install the latest version of Java.
• Point your browser to the model, either here (WILSIM-GC) or here (WILSIM-GC). (Both links go to the same model; it is hosted on two different servers for redundancy, so that it is available even if one server is down.)
• Open the model. How you do this will depend on your computer, what browser you are using, and your settings. Look for a message in your browser window about the file wilsimgc.jnlp; if you see it, choose "keep" and then open the file. Otherwise, look for the wilsimgc.jnlp file wherever you save downloads and double click to open it.
• Select "Run the application."
• Run a couple of examples to see how the model works.
• After the installation is done, the WILSIM window appears. Maximize the window. To change the parameter values, slide the bar on the right of each parameter to change its value. To change the viewing geometry, slide the bars at the bottom and the right of the animation window. Click on the Start button to run a simulation.
• See suggested example simulations and teaching activities.
• Use the model to explore your own questions about landform evolution by adjusting the input variables and running additional simulations.
• When a newer version of WILSIM-GC is released, clear your Java cache so that when you run WILSIM-GC it will go to the source for the latest files.
• Under the general tab in the Java control panel, edit the settings for Temporary Internet Files. Click on the settings button, select "delete files," use the default options and click on "OK."