Developing three-dimensional groundwater flow modeling for the Erbil Basin using Groundwater Modeling System (GMS)

This study presents the development of a comprehensive three-dimensional groundwater flow model for the Erbil Basin utilizing the Groundwater Modeling System(GMS).The Erbil Basin,situated in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,is a vital water resource area facing increasing water demands and environ-mental challenges.The three-dimensional nature of the groundwater flow system is crucial for accurately understanding and managing water resources in the basin.The modeling process involved data collection,geological and hydrogeological characterization,conceptual model development,and numerical simulation using GMS software MODFLOW 2000 package.Various parameters such as hydraulic conductivity,recharge rates,and boundary conditions were integrated into the model to represent the complex hydrogeo-logical conditions of the basin.Model calibration was performed by comparing simulated groundwater levels with observed data from monitoring wells across the basin,using the automatic calibration method of automated Parameter Estimation(PEST).Pilot points were applied to adjust the hydraulic conductivity in the model area spatially.Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the influence of key parameters on model predictions and to identify areas of uncertainty.The developed three-dimensional groundwater flow model provides valuable insights into the dynamics of groundwater flow,recharge-discharge mechanisms,and potential impacts of future scenarios such as climate change and water resource management strategies.It serves as a useful tool for decision-makers,water resource managers,and researchers to evaluate differ-ent management scenarios and formulate sustainable groundwater management policies for the Erbil Basin.In conclusion,this study demonstrates the effectiveness of using GMS for developing three-dimensional groundwater flow models in complex hydrogeological settings like the Erbil Basin,contributing to improved understanding and management of groundwater resources in the region.

Impact of water table on hierarchically nested groundwater flow system

Water table configuration gives rise to hierarchically nested groundwater flow systems.However,there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the controlling factors of water table and its impact on flow systems.Moreover,it remains challenging to identify characteristics of water table space variation through limited groundwater observations at the regional scale.Based on two ideal two-dimensional cross-section analytical models,this study presents a simplified approach to preliminarily assess the nonlinear interactions between water table variation and three driving factors:Topography,geol-ogy and climate.Two criteria,C1 and C2,are utilized to address issues at different scales ranging from basin to local:(i)the influence of various factors on water table configuration;and(ii)the influence of water table on groundwater flow pattern.Then,the Ordos Plateau is taken as an example to explore the role of the water table in nested groundwater systems using the provided approach and criterion.The applica-tion of this approach in the Ordos Plateau demonstrates its appropriateness as a practical method for prelim-inarily determining the characteristics of water table configuration and its impact on flow systems.The study explores the mechanism influencing spatial variation in the water table and improves understanding of the interaction between topography,geology,and climate on groundwater flow patterns.

The Design of a Three-Dimensional Physical Modeling System for Real-Time Groundwater Flows

In the past decades,physical modeling has been widely used in hydrogeology for teaching,studying and exhibition purposes.Most of these models are used to illustrate hydrogeological profiles,but few can depict three-dimensional groundwater flows,making it impossible to validate groundwater flows simulated by numerical methods with physical modeling.

Effects of coal mining and tunnel excavation on groundwater flow system in karst areas by modeling:A case study in Zhongliang Mountain,Chongqing,Southwest China

A karst groundwater system ranks among the most sensitive and vulnerable types of groundwater systems.Coal mining and tunnel excavation can greatly change the natural hydrogeological flow system,groundwater-dependent vegetation,soil,as well as hydrology of surface water systems.Abandoned coal mine caves and proposed highway tunnels may have significant influences on groundwater systems.This study employs MODFLOW,a 3D finite-difference groundwater model software,to simulate the groundwater system's response to coal mining and tunnel excavation impact in Zhongliang Mountain,Chongqing,from 1948 to 2035.The results show a regional decline in groundwater levels within the study area following mining and tunnel construction.The groundwater flow system in the study area evolves from the Jialing River groundwater flow system to encompass the Jialing River,Moxinpo highway tunnel,Moxinpo,and the Liujiagou coal mine cave groundwater flow systems between 1948 and 2025.With the completion of tunnel construction,the groundwater level at the top of the tunnel is gradually restored to the water level in the natural state.The model also predicts groundwater level variations between 2025 and 2035.The groundwater level will rise further initially,however,it may take about 10 years for the system to stabilize and reach a new equilibrium.In light of these findings,it is advised that changes in groundwater flow systems caused by tunnel construction should be modeled prior to the practical construction.This approach is crucial for evaluating potential engineering and environmental implications.

Groundwater quality assessment using multivariate analysis,geostatistical modeling, and water quality index(WQI): a case of study in the Boumerzoug-El Khroub valley of Northeast Algeria

In this study,the analytical data set of 26 groundwater samples from the alluvial aquifer of Boumerzoug-E1 khroub valley has been processed simultaneously with Multivariate analysis,geostatistical modeling,WQI,and geochemical modeling.Cluster analysis identified three main water types based on the major ion contents,where mineralization increased from group 1 to group 3.These groups were confirmed by FA/PCA,which demonstrated that groundwater quality is influenced by geochemical processes(water-rock interaction)and human practice(irrigation).The exponential semivariogram model WQI.Groundwater chemistry has a strong spatial structure for Mg,Na,Cl,and NO3,and a moderate spatial structure for EC,Ca,K,HCO3,and SO4.Water quality maps generated using ordinary Kriging are consistent with the HCA and PCA results.All water groups are supersaturated with respect to carbonate minerals,and dissolution of kaolinite and Ca-smectite is one of the processes responsible for hydrochemical evolution in the area.

Geochemical modeling of groundwater in southern plain area of Pengyang County,Ningxia,China

The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolution mechanisms of a hydrochemical field and to promote its benefits to the living standards of local people and to the local economy in the southern plain area of Pengyang County, in Ningxia, China. Based on understanding of the hydrogeological conditions in Pengyang County, the chemical evolution characteristics of groundwater in the plain area were analyzed. PHREEQC geochemical modeling software was used to perform hydrochemical modeling of water-rock interaction and to quantitatively analyze the evolution processes and the formation mechanisms of the local groundwater. Geochemical modeling was performed for two groundwater paths. The results showed that, along path 1, Na＋ adsorption played the leading role in the precipitation process and its amount was the largest, up to 6.08 mmol/L; cation exchange was significant along path 1, while along simulated path 2, albite accounted for the largest amount of dissolution, reaching 9.06 mmol/L, and the cation exchange was not significant. According to the modeling results, along the groundwater flow path, calcite and dolomite showed oversaturated status with a precipitation trend, while the fluorite and gypsum throughout the simulated path were not saturated and showed a dissolution trend. The total dissolved solids （TDS） increased and water quality worsened along the flow path. The dissolution reactions of albite, CO2, and halite, the exchange adsorption reaction of Na＋, and the precipitation of sodium montmorillonite and calcite were the primary hydrogeochemical reactions, resulting in changes of hydrochemical ingredients.

Solution for Distributed Model of Groundwater System with PCG2 for Naolihe Basin in Sanjiang Plain

PCG2 （Preconditioned Conjugate-Gradient Method 2）, the most popular mothod used in groundwater field, was used to solve the distributed model of large-scale groundwater system. Its principle and effect was analyzed mathematically, and verified by some specific examples. Numerical results acquired by PCG2 are accurate, it demonstrates that PCG2 is effective on methodology itself and man-ralated operation. So PCG2 is worthy of popularizing in the area of groundwater system for numerical analysis.

Groundwater Flow Modeling for Qushtapa Plain Unconfined Aquifer in Southern Erbil Basin, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Increasing population growth and water demand for various purposes such as irrigation, domestic and industrial production in many parts of the Kurdistan Region is causing deficit in fresh water and rising groundwater dependence. Drilling many deep wells in the area unsystematically and continuously increased pumping water from groundwater reservoirs results in lowering of water table. Therefore, it is essential to assess the management of water resources. The study focuses on the groundwater modeling for the Qushtapa District plain area in particular under steady state flow conditions. The aquifer was simulated under unconfined condition and is represented by a single layer of 100 m thickness. MODPATH was used to measure contamination track lines and travel times. This approach involved the introduction of particles at sources of contaminants in the wells and the recharge area, then the identification of the path lines and the determination of the special distribution of contaminants through steady state flow conditions. The simulation of the groundwater head shows that the groundwater head starts from the northeastern part of the plain and decreases towards Lesser Zab River in the south of the plain from 420 m to 140 m above sea level. The modeled layer was calibrated under steady state conditions using hydraulic parameters obtained from observation and pumping wells. The calibrated model is effective in producing steady-state groundwater head distribution and good compliance with observed data. The standard error was estimated as 4.88 m, the normalized root mean square error is 8.3% and the residual mean is 15.79 m. The results of the forward tracking show the source of potential pollutants from the recharge area after different travel time, the particles released at the northern boundary travels to the center and the western part toward the pollution sources. The results of the backward tracking show that the particles located in the extraction wells moved toward the recharge area in the north and northeastern part of the study area.

Simulation of Regional Karst Aquifer System and Assessment of Groundwater Resources in Manatí-Vega Baja, Puerto Rico

The North Coast karst aquifer system of Puerto Rico, the most productive aquifer of the island, is a vital water source for drinking water and local ecosystems. High freshwater demands alter the coastal groundwater system that impacts both human populations and coastal ecosystems of the island. To predict how this system might respond to rainfall events and high pumping demands, we used the equivalent porous medium (EPM) technique to develop a three-dimensional groundwater flow model to estimate hydrogeological parameters and assess groundwater resources in the Manatí-Vega Baja karst aquifer. The approach is based on the hypothesis that the simplified EPM approach will reproduce groundwater hydrodynamics in this complex karst environment. The steady-state model was calibrated with trial and error and parameter estimation methods using an observed groundwater table of 1995 (r = 0.86, p < 0.0001, n = 39). The large-scale simulation suggested that groundwater flow roughly follows the elevation slope (i.e. south to north). Calibrated hydraulic conductivities range from 0.5 to 86 m/d, whereas the hydro-geologic data strongly suggest higher permeability in the middle karst section of the study area. The transient model adequately estimates the observed groundwater fluctuations in response to rainfall events from 1980 until 2014. The transient results indicate that the conceptual model accuracy is more acceptable with a mean error (ME) of -0.132 m, mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.542 m and root mean square (RMSE) error of 0.365 m. The results of water budget simulation show that the total recharge satisfies the total groundwater withdrawal rate in the past, but continuous closure of more contaminated wells causes groundwater levels to increase in the future. The results indicate that the assumption of applicability of EPM approach is sustained and supported by measured data in the study area. Taking future water demands into account, this model could be applied further to predict the changes of groundwater levels and mass balance under different exploitation scenarios.

Locally weighted learning based hybrid intelligence models for groundwater potential mapping and modeling: A case study at Gia Lai province, Vietnam

The groundwater potential map is an important tool for a sustainable water management and land use planning,particularly for agricultural countries like Vietnam.In this article,we proposed new machine learning ensemble techniques namely AdaBoost ensemble(ABLWL),Bagging ensemble(BLWL),Multi Boost ensemble(MBLWL),Rotation Forest ensemble(RFLWL)with Locally Weighted Learning(LWL)algorithm as a base classifier to build the groundwater potential map of Gia Lai province in Vietnam.For this study,eleven conditioning factors(aspect,altitude,curvature,slope,Stream Transport Index(STI),Topographic Wetness Index(TWI),soil,geology,river density,rainfall,land-use)and 134 wells yield data was used to create training(70%)and testing(30%)datasets for the development and validation of the models.Several statistical indices were used namely Positive Predictive Value(PPV),Negative Predictive Value(NPV),Sensitivity(SST),Specificity(SPF),Accuracy(ACC),Kappa,and Receiver Operating Characteristics(ROC)curve to validate and compare performance of models.Results show that performance of all the models is good to very good(AUC:0.75 to 0.829)but the ABLWL model with AUC=0.89 is the best.All the models applied in this study can support decision-makers to streamline the management of the groundwater and to develop economy not only of specific territories but also in other regions across the world with minor changes of the input parameters.

Application of GIS and DRASTIC Modeling for Evaluation of Groundwater Vulnerability near a Solid Waste Disposal Site

The study aims at evaluating the groundwater vulnerability to contamination in the vicinity of a solid waste disposal site, Njelianparamba, a municipal dumping site in Kozhikode, Kerala, India, using DRASTIC model using Geographic Information System environment. Vulnerability maps are intended to show areas of most potential to groundwater contamination on the basis of hydrogeological conditions and human impacts. The DRASTIC model consists of seven hydrogeological parameters that affect groundwater quality. The ESRI GIS software, Arc Map 10.1 was used to create the groundwater vulnerability map by overlaying the seven layers. The resulting vulnerability map was then validated using chemical and bacteriological analysis of samples collected from nearby wells of the dumping site to assess the area which is of more potential risk to pollution. According to the vulnerability map, the study area was divided into three vulnerability classes ranging between a minimum value of 120 and a maximum value of 243. The vulnerability classes are moderate vulnerable, high vulnerable and very high vulnerable. The vulnerability map revealed that the eastern and south eastern portion of Njelianparamba dump site was very highly vulnerable to groundwater contamination. This is probably due to the lower sloped terrains towards the eastern portion which allows percolation of contaminants into the groundwater.

Numerical Modelling of Geochemical Behaviour of Fluoride in the Shallow Groundwater Systems

The Xingtai piedmont plain in Hebei Province is a representative area in northern China where endemic fluorosis is serious and shallow high-F ground water is distributed. In this paper, the area is selected as a typical study area, and on the basis of large amounts of field work and the experiments, through groundwater geochemical modelling and by applying the theory and method of the coupled model of hydrodynamic transport and chemical reactions in a multicomponent system, the author performed numerical modelling of the geochemical behaviour of fluoride in a shallow groundwater system, quantitatively studied the hydrodynamic transport and chemical reaction of fluorine migration, transformation and concentration in a water-heterogeneous unsaturated soil system under the conditions of meteoric water infiltration and quantitatively determined the speciation of fluorine and the saturation state and dissolution/precipitation trend of various solid precipitates in shallow high-F groundwater, thus deepening the understanding of the geochemical behavious of fluorine in shallow groundwater and revealing the essence of some environmental problems at a higher level.

Study of prediction for groundwater contamination in wastewater land treatment system

This paper uses a prediction model of groundwater pollution based on the experiments in the laboratory and in field .The model, which was tested and calibrated by the field observated data ,satisfactorily simulated the field conditions in land treatment system of wastewater . Particularly , the model can provide the reliable pollution prediction of heavy metals , organisms and nitrogen . The model was used to predict the groundwater pollution caused by the land treatment system in the region of North China . The calibration of the model showed that correlation coefficients between the tested and predictive data of Cr6+. As3+, organism and NH4+ could reach 0.990, which proved that the model possessed the realistic instructive significance for design and use of wastewater land treatment systems .

The 3D simulation and optimized management model of groundwater systems based on eco-environmental water demand

Through the study of mutual process between groundwater systems and eco-environmental water demand, the eco-environmental water demand is brought into groundwater systems model as the important water consumption item and unification of groundwater抯 economic, environmental and ecological functions were taken into account. Based on eco-environmental water demand at Da抋n in Jilin province, a three-dimensional simulation and optimized management model of groundwater systems was established. All water balance components of groundwater systems in 1998 and 1999 were simulated with this model and the best optimal exploitation scheme of groundwater systems in 2000 was determined, so that groundwater resource was efficiently utilized and good economic, ecologic and social benefits were obtained.

A New Geochemical Reaction Model for Groundwater Systems

Through a survey of the literature on geology, hydrogeology and hydrogeochemistry, this paper presents a hydrogeochemical model for the groundwater system in a dross-dumping area of the Shandong Aluminium Plant. It is considered that the groundwater-bearing medium is a mineral aggregate and that the interactions between groundwater and the groundwater-bearing medium can be described as a series of geochemical reactions. On that basis, the principle of minimum energy and the equations of mass balance, electron balance and electric neutrality are applied to construct a linear programming mathematical model for the calculation of mass transfer between water and rock with the simplex method.

Parameter Estimation and Experimental Design in Groundwater Modeling

This paper reviews the latest developments on parameter estimation and experimental design in the field of groundwater modeling. Special considerations are given when the structure of the identified parameter is complex and unknown. A new methodology for constructing useful groundwater models is described, which is based on the quantitative relationships among the complexity of model structure, the identifiability of parameter, the sufficiency of data, and the reliability of model application.

Conjunctive Use Modeling of Groundwater and Surface Water

In this study, conjunctive use of surface and groundwater in the Maraghe area was investigated. The objective function used for the overall conjunctive use model was maximizing sum of relative yields of crops in the command area. Declining groundwater levels was selected as criteria of groundwater limitation. The simulation was done for four years and began by a dry year to normal year. GMS software was used to simulate groundwater aquifer. In this model, different well discharges in the study area for different scenarios were used and decline in groundwater level at the end of simulation time was calculated. In order to model surface water and calculate the objective function, a program in Visual Basic was developed. Two types of scenario, annual and seasonal, were defined by specifying the ratio of the allocation of surface water to that of groundwater pumping at the crop level for entire irrigated area. For different scenarios, declining groundwater levels and objective functions were calculated. With attention to maximize objective function that the water table drawdown is not greater than the limited criterion, the best scenario was obtained. In annual scenarios, The results showed that in scenario of 75 - 25 (75% surface water to 25% groundwater), the purpose function rate was 12.2 and water table draw down was 2.6, which was lower than allowable limitation. Therefore, it was chosen as a selective scenario. Also in seasonal scenarios, The best scenario was chosen 100-40-60 (the percentage of surface water share in spring, summer and fall & winter respectively), which amount of purpose function was 12.57 and the water table draw down was around 3 m at the end of the simulation period.

GIS Based Methodology for Groundwater Flow Estimation across the Boundary of the Study Areain Groundwater Flow Modeling

Pali district, Rajasthan, India has been facing severe pollution of groundwater due to release of untreated industrial effluent of textile industries into the Bandi River flowing through the Pali city. A groundwater flow and transport modeling exercise has been undertaken by MNIT, Jaipur, India to understand the groundwater flow regime and to study the different scenarios. In the modeling exercise partially penetrating ephemeral rivers have been taken as part of model boundaries wherever more appropriate boundaries were not available in the near vicinity. These boundaries have been considered as constant flow boundaries. Aim of this paper is to present a methodology to calculate the average flux through such boundaries from readily available data such as bore logs and groundwater levels. The study area boundary was divided in to several cross sections and average values of groundwater flow gradients normal to the boundary were calculated for different monsoon and non monsoon seasons for different years. The entire boundary was then regrouped into 8 boundary segments on the basis of average values of gradients for individual line segments and mean gradient values for these line segments were calculated. Values of ground level, bottom elevations of hydros-tratigraphic layers and average water depth were extracted for a number of points on these line segments from the respective layers and these values were used to calculate equivalent horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the multi-layered aquifer system at every point. The Darcy’s law was then used to calculate inflow/outflow per m length of the boundary at each point. The methodology presented here is simple and is based on the assumption that the groundwater level gradients do not change significantly for different seasons and amongst different years which has been validated in the present groundwater modeling study. The paper demonstrates a GIS based methodology to work out inflow/outflow across boundary of a study area in the cases where no flow boundaries in the vicinity of the study area cannot be identified.

Use of Numerical Groundwater Modeling to Assess the Feasibility of Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) in the Wadi Watir Delta, Sinai, Egypt

The lack of water resources in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula is a major constraint for further socioeconomic development, and flash floods in this region can damage roads and infrastructure. The Wadi Watir basin is the main water source for the groundwater aquifer, which supplies fresh water to Nuweiba city, where demands for groundwater are increasing. The objective of this research was to assess the hydrogeological suitability of installing Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) systems in the Wadi Watir delta by using numerical groundwater models. The developed models were used to evaluate the effects of hydrogeological and operational parameters on the recovery efficiency of ASR systems at five potential locations in the study area. As the estimation of recovery efficiency depends on the salinity of recovered water, the recovered water salinity limit was assumed as 150% of the injected water salinity, where 150% refers to the point at which recovery has ended because the concentration of recovered water reached 150% of that of injected water. The most important output from the model runs was that the recovery efficiency of these ASR systems ranged from 25% to 54% with a longitudinal dispersivity of 10 m, volume of injected water of 12,000 m3, and storage period of 180 days. The main conclusions are as follows. 1) Using coupled numerical groundwater flow and solute transport models is an effective tool for predicting the effects of mixing between injected water and ambient groundwater in ASR systems. 2) The groundwater aquifer in the study area is not suitable as strategic area for ASR systems because the thickness of the water storage layer is relatively small and the distance to the sea is very close;consequently, it is recommended that artificial recharge systems be developed with existing technology to replenish the groundwater aquifer in the Wadi Watir delta.