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A System-of-Systems Convergence Paradigm for Societal Challenges of the Anthropocene

Megan S. Harris, Mohammad Mahdi Naderi, Ehsanoddin Ghorbanichemazkati, Sina Jangjoo, Emily Lapan, Seyed Amirreza Hosseini, Fabian Schipfer, Stephen Craig, Enayat Moallemi, Inas Khayal, Laura M. Arpan, Tian Tang, John C. Little, Amro M. Farid

Abstract

Modern societal challenges, such as climate change, urbanization, and water resource management, demand integrated, multi-discipline, multi-problem approaches to frame and address their complexity. Unfortunately, current methodologies often operate within disciplinary silos, leading to fragmented insights and missed opportunities for convergence. A critical barrier to cross-disciplinary integration lies in the disparate ontologies that shape how different fields conceptualize and communicate knowledge. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a system-of-systems (SoS) convergence paradigm grounded in a meta-cognition map, a framework that integrates five complementary domains: real-world observations, systems thinking, visual modeling, mathematics, and computing. The paradigm is based on the Systems Modeling Language (SysML), offering a standardized, domain-neutral approach for representing and analyzing complex systems. The proposed methodology is demonstrated through a case study of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, a socio-environmental system requiring coordination across land use, hydrology, economic and policy domains. By modeling this system with SysML, the study illustrates practical strategies for navigating interdisciplinary challenges and highlights the potential of agile SoS modeling to support large-scale, multi-dimensional decision-making.

A System-of-Systems Convergence Paradigm for Societal Challenges of the Anthropocene

Abstract

Modern societal challenges, such as climate change, urbanization, and water resource management, demand integrated, multi-discipline, multi-problem approaches to frame and address their complexity. Unfortunately, current methodologies often operate within disciplinary silos, leading to fragmented insights and missed opportunities for convergence. A critical barrier to cross-disciplinary integration lies in the disparate ontologies that shape how different fields conceptualize and communicate knowledge. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a system-of-systems (SoS) convergence paradigm grounded in a meta-cognition map, a framework that integrates five complementary domains: real-world observations, systems thinking, visual modeling, mathematics, and computing. The paradigm is based on the Systems Modeling Language (SysML), offering a standardized, domain-neutral approach for representing and analyzing complex systems. The proposed methodology is demonstrated through a case study of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, a socio-environmental system requiring coordination across land use, hydrology, economic and policy domains. By modeling this system with SysML, the study illustrates practical strategies for navigating interdisciplinary challenges and highlights the potential of agile SoS modeling to support large-scale, multi-dimensional decision-making.
Paper Structure (16 sections, 4 figures)

This paper contains 16 sections, 4 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Original Contribution
  3. Paper Outline
  4. Common Pitfalls to Convergence
  5. Meta-Cognition Map as the Scaffold for a Convergent SoS Paradigm
  6. Knowledge Generation Described by a Meta-Cognition Map
  7. Design Criteria for a Convergent System-of-Systems Paradigm
  8. Analysis and Synthesis Methods with Convergence Potential
  9. Training the Next Generation of Anthropocene System Integrators
  10. Case Study: Demonstration of the SoS Convergence Paradigm in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
  11. SoS Computational Framework
  12. SoS Decision-Support System
  13. SoS Team Science and Collaboration
  14. SoS Pedagogy
  15. The Chesapeake Bay Watershed as a Convergence Testbed
  16. ...and 1 more sections

Figures (4)

  • Figure 1: Graphical illustration of an interconnected geophysical, biophysical, sociocultural and sociotechnical system of Anthropocene systems.
  • Figure 2: Tunnel vision when addressing Anthropocene societal challenges
  • Figure 3: Meta-cognition map of scientific knowledge generation, illustrating how individuals think while moving among five complementary forms of cognition: Real-World, Systems Thinking, Visual, Mathematical, and Computational. Adapted from Farid:2023:01Little:2025:ISC-JR10.
  • Figure 4: Chesapeake Bay Watershed