Groundwater modeling is creating a computer-based model of a groundwater system. It can be used to visualize and understand the system, track groundwater supplies and flow, explore scenarios, and analyze risks. It is useful for education, policy-making, pollution remediation, and groundwater monitoring.
Groundwater modeling is a practice of creating a model of a groundwater system. This is usually done on a computer, using specialized software that has been specifically designed for the purpose of modeling groundwater. Groundwater models can also be plotted on paper or constructed as three-dimensional models, although these practices are increasingly rare now that a variety of software products are available.
Being able to model groundwater systems can be extremely useful for a wide range of applications. Using a model helps people visualize a system they cannot see and can illustrate key points of interest or be used to glean information about a system. People who have difficulty understanding water use policy and other issues sometimes benefit from education with a groundwater model where issues are illustrated visually, rather than discussed in the abstract.
Groundwater models track where groundwater supplies are located and how groundwater supplies flow. Hydrologists are involved in the mapping process, alongside geologists who study the condition of the rocks and soil present in a groundwater system. The system can also show groundwater recharge sources, illustrating where the water enters the system.
With a groundwater modeling program, scientists can explore a variety of scenarios. For example, they can place a number of wells in the model to see how much water use the system can support and to explore optimal well placement. They can also introduce pollution into the model, tracking how pollution flows through the groundwater system. This process can also be used in reverse; by tracing the locations from which polluted water samples were taken in a groundwater model, scientists can trace their source. This process is used in groundwater remediation to determine who is responsible for the pollution and to develop the best angle of attack to deal with the pollution.
Risk analysis can also involve groundwater modelling, as well as the more general analysis of groundwater systems. When a developer wants to install a large development, for example, it may be necessary to submit groundwater modeling data to a planning agency to illustrate how the development will impact groundwater supplies. Groundwater modeling is also used in groundwater monitoring, where people protect groundwater supplies to ensure they remain ample and clean enough for drinking by keeping an eye on groundwater systems and identifying hot spots and leaks. problem areas before they get too big to handle.
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