Development of a 3D groundwater model based on scarce data: the Wadi Kafrein catchment/Jordan

Abstract

In this work, a 3D groundwater flow model integrating all important geological features of the hydrogeological system is developed to investigate hydrological processes in the Wadi Kafrein area of Jordan. A large amount of available geological and hydrological data is integrated to construct a 3D groundwater flow model for the Wadi Kafrein area. Using the newly developed mapping approach, the translation of the highly detailed geological formations to an unstructured finite element grids, can be accomplished with high precision. The existing data set for model calibration is scarce, which is a typical situation for many hydrogeological case studies. At first, the steady state calibration of the groundwater model is carried out based on the observation wells. Then, the time and space-dependent recharge from precipitation are applied at the top surface of the finite element model. The transient simulation is conducted during the period of 1996-2008 considering the abstraction rates of the production wells and discharge of the springs. The calculated water levels are close to the observed values. The difference is partly caused by return flows from irrigation and the groundwater inflow from the adjacent aquifers which are not taken into consideration so far. Since the Wadi Kafrein area is an important agricultural area in the semiarid region of the Lower Jordan Valley, the model developed in this study can be regarded as a useful tool for analyzing the hydrological processes and improving groundwater management practices elsewhere affected by similar geological and hydrogeological conditions.

Groundwater modelling with limited data sets: the Chari–Logone area (Lake Chad Basin, Chad)

“…Previous studies have applied several approaches to overcome these limitations with varying degrees of success. A detailed review of previous methods and current approaches to modelling is beyond the scope of the present study but can be found in existing literature (e.g., van der Linden and Woo, ; Ireson et al ., ; Barthel et al ., ; Pande et al ., ; Wu et al ., ). The most appropriate method for modelling a given environment depends on project‐specific objectives.…”

Calibration of Two-Dimensional Variably Saturated Numerical Model for Groundwater Flow in Arid Inland Basin, China

“…The model identification results indicate that the simulated hydraulic heads fit well with the observed hydraulic heads which is an important evaluation index for the simulated reality 22 . The lack of systematic observations makes it difficult to simulate groundwater level fluctuation accurately and quantitatively over time.…”

Visual data exploration for hydrological analysis

“…In the first case, the surface mesh can be expanded into 3D by adding a given numbers of layers where neighbouring layers are connected by prism-or tetrahedra-elements. Each layer can then be mapped based on a given DEM raster file (Wu et al 2011). The second case cannot be handled by OGS itself and we often incorporate programmes such as the Aquaveo Groundwater Modeling System (GMS) for this task.…”