Computer Modeling of Groundwater Flow

Course Outline

This course provides guidance on computer modeling of groundwater flow for engineers, hydrologists and geologists who are responsible for groundwater-related projects. The course materials are based entirely on Chapter 5 of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Engineering Manual EM 1110-2-1421 Groundwater Hydrology. A groundwater model is a replica of some real-world groundwater system. A groundwater model can be as simple as a construction of saturated sand packed in a glass container or as complex as a three-dimensional mathematical representation requiring solution of hundreds of thousands of equations by a large computer. This course will present a technical overview of the theory, development, and use of computer models for simulating groundwater flow. A discussion on model calibration, execution, and interpretation of results is also included in this course.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

• Have a better understanding of basic components of a groundwater modeling ;
• Be familiar with three most common solution methods used in groundwater modeling; and
• Be able to define boundary conditions and to perform calibration for the computer models.

Course Content

The purpose of this course is to provide guidance on computer modeling of groundwater flow. You are required to study the following U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Engineering Manual:

Chapter 5 of Groundwater Hydrology (Engineering Manual EM 1110-2-1421, 1999 edition, 10 pages, PDF file).

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study.

The following contains the outline of Chapter 5 of the Engineering Manual EM 1110-2-1421:

Engineering and Design - Groundwater Hydrology

Chapter 5 - Computer Modeling of Groundwater Flow

5-1 General
5-2 Code Selection
5-3 Initial Model Development
5-4 Model Calibration and Sensitivity Analysis
5-5 History Matching
5-6 Model Execution and Interpretation of Results
5-7 Post Audit

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:

USGS - Water Resources of the United States
National Ground Water Association
The Groundwater Foundation
Ground-Water Remediation Technologies Analysis Center

Once you finish studying the above course content you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDHonline.org or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered professional engineer. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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