Groundwater Modeling and Management under Uncertainty


Book Description

Groundwater is a vital resource of water, in some regions of the world the only source of fresh water. Its use for domestic use and agriculture dates back thousands of years. In recent decades the over-exploitation and unabated use of this resource has lead to severe environmental problems such as resource depletion, land subsidence and groundwater contamination. To mitigate these adverse impacts and protect this valuable resource, it is imperative that rational groundwater management practices and policies as well as robust modeling and analysis tools be developed. This volume and the accompanying USB memory card include the abstracts and full papers that were presented at the 6th International Groundwater Symposium that was held in Kuwait between 19 and 21 of November, 2012. The Symposium was jointly organized by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research and the Groundwater Hydraulics and Management Committee of the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR). More than 100 researchers, engineers, geologists and water specialists from more than 20 countries attended the Symposium to exchange ideas and expertise relating to the latest developments in the fi eld. The papers presented at the Symposium were organized under the following themes: modeling and management under uncertainty, sustainable groundwater management in arid and semiarid environments, Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) as a groundwater management tool, management solutions for groundwater rise problems, fl ow and transport modeling, and subsurface contamination and remediation. This volume provides a state-of-the-art discussion of the latest issues relating to groundwater exploration, management and protection, with an emphasis on bridging the gap between research practice and policy. The volume will serve as an important reference to students, researchers, modelers as well as practitioners and policy makers.




Applied Groundwater Modeling


Book Description

This second edition is extensively revised throughout with expanded discussion of modeling fundamentals and coverage of advances in model calibration and uncertainty analysis that are revolutionizing the science of groundwater modeling. The text is intended for undergraduate and graduate level courses in applied groundwater modeling and as a comprehensive reference for environmental consultants and scientists/engineers in industry and governmental agencies. - Explains how to formulate a conceptual model of a groundwater system and translate it into a numerical model - Demonstrates how modeling concepts, including boundary conditions, are implemented in two groundwater flow codes-- MODFLOW (for finite differences) and FEFLOW (for finite elements) - Discusses particle tracking methods and codes for flowpath analysis and advective transport of contaminants - Summarizes parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis approaches using the code PEST to illustrate how concepts are implemented - Discusses modeling ethics and preparation of the modeling report - Includes Boxes that amplify and supplement topics covered in the text - Each chapter presents lists of common modeling errors and problem sets that illustrate concepts




Groundwater Models for Resources Analysis and Management


Book Description

Written by renowned experts in the field, this book assesses the status of groundwater models and defines models and modeling needs in the 21st century. It reviews the state of the art in model development and application in regional groundwater management, unsaturated flow/multiphase flow and transport, island modeling, biological and virus transport, and fracture flow. Both deterministic and stochastic aspects of unsaturated flow and transport are covered. The book also introduces a unique assessment of models as analysis and management tools for groundwater resources. Topics covered include model vs. data uncertainty, accuracy of the dispersion/convection equation, protocols for model testing and validation, post-audit studies, and applying models to karst aquifers.




Groundwater Quality Modeling and Management Under Uncertainty


Book Description

This collection contains 30 peer-reviewed papers presented at a symposium, Probabilistic Approaches and Groundwater Modeling, at the 2003 World Environmental and Water Resources Congress, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 24-26, 2003.




Modeling Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport


Book Description

In many parts of the world, groundwater resources are under increasing threat from growing demands, wasteful use, and contamination. To face the challenge, good planning and management practices are needed. A key to the management of groundwater is the ability to model the movement of fluids and contaminants in the subsurface. The purpose of this book is to construct conceptual and mathematical models that can provide the information required for making decisions associated with the management of groundwater resources, and the remediation of contaminated aquifers. The basic approach of this book is to accurately describe the underlying physics of groundwater flow and solute transport in heterogeneous porous media, starting at the microscopic level, and to rigorously derive their mathematical representation at the macroscopic levels. The well-posed, macroscopic mathematical models are formulated for saturated, single phase flow, as well as for unsaturated and multiphase flow, and for the transport of single and multiple chemical species. Numerical models are presented and computer codes are reviewed, as tools for solving the models. The problem of seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers is examined and modeled. The issues of uncertainty in model input data and output are addressed. The book concludes with a chapter on the management of groundwater resources. Although one of the main objectives of this book is to construct mathematical models, the amount of mathematics required is kept minimal.




Effective Groundwater Model Calibration


Book Description

Methods and guidelines for developing and using mathematical models Turn to Effective Groundwater Model Calibration for a set of methods and guidelines that can help produce more accurate and transparent mathematical models. The models can represent groundwater flow and transport and other natural and engineered systems. Use this book and its extensive exercises to learn methods to fully exploit the data on hand, maximize the model's potential, and troubleshoot any problems that arise. Use the methods to perform: Sensitivity analysis to evaluate the information content of data Data assessment to identify (a) existing measurements that dominate model development and predictions and (b) potential measurements likely to improve the reliability of predictions Calibration to develop models that are consistent with the data in an optimal manner Uncertainty evaluation to quantify and communicate errors in simulated results that are often used to make important societal decisions Most of the methods are based on linear and nonlinear regression theory. Fourteen guidelines show the reader how to use the methods advantageously in practical situations. Exercises focus on a groundwater flow system and management problem, enabling readers to apply all the methods presented in the text. The exercises can be completed using the material provided in the book, or as hands-on computer exercises using instructions and files available on the text's accompanying Web site. Throughout the book, the authors stress the need for valid statistical concepts and easily understood presentation methods required to achieve well-tested, transparent models. Most of the examples and all of the exercises focus on simulating groundwater systems; other examples come from surface-water hydrology and geophysics. The methods and guidelines in the text are broadly applicable and can be used by students, researchers, and engineers to simulate many kinds systems.




Ground Water Vulnerability Assessment


Book Description

Since the need to protect ground water from pollution was recognized, researchers have made progress in understanding the vulnerability of ground water to contamination. Yet, there are substantial uncertainties in the vulnerability assessment methods now available. With a wealth of detailed information and practical advice, this volume will help decision-makers derive the most benefit from available assessment techniques. It offers: Three laws of ground water vulnerability. Six case studies of vulnerability assessment. Guidance for selecting vulnerability assessments and using the results. Reviews of the strengths and limitations of assessment methods. Information on available data bases, primarily at the federal level. This book will be indispensable to policymakers and resource managers, environmental professionals, researchers, faculty, and students involved in ground water issues, as well as investigators developing new assessment methods.










Evolutionary Optimization Algorithms


Book Description

A clear and lucid bottom-up approach to the basic principles of evolutionary algorithms Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) are a type of artificial intelligence. EAs are motivated by optimization processes that we observe in nature, such as natural selection, species migration, bird swarms, human culture, and ant colonies. This book discusses the theory, history, mathematics, and programming of evolutionary optimization algorithms. Featured algorithms include genetic algorithms, genetic programming, ant colony optimization, particle swarm optimization, differential evolution, biogeography-based optimization, and many others. Evolutionary Optimization Algorithms: Provides a straightforward, bottom-up approach that assists the reader in obtaining a clear but theoretically rigorous understanding of evolutionary algorithms, with an emphasis on implementation Gives a careful treatment of recently developed EAs including opposition-based learning, artificial fish swarms, bacterial foraging, and many others and discusses their similarities and differences from more well-established EAs Includes chapter-end problems plus a solutions manual available online for instructors Offers simple examples that provide the reader with an intuitive understanding of the theory Features source code for the examples available on the author's website Provides advanced mathematical techniques for analyzing EAs, including Markov modeling and dynamic system modeling Evolutionary Optimization Algorithms: Biologically Inspired and Population-Based Approaches to Computer Intelligence is an ideal text for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and professionals involved in engineering and computer science.