HR: 1340h
AN: H23B-1308    [Abstracts]
TI: Effects of Element Simplification on a Ground Water Flow Solution
AU: * Fredrick, K C
EM: fredrick@cup.edu
AF: University at Buffalo Department of Geosciences, 876 Natural Sciences North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260, United States
AU: * Fredrick, K C
EM: fredrick@cup.edu
AF: California University of PA Department of Earth Sciences, 250 University Avenue Box 55, California, PA 15419, United States
AB: This project was developed for the purposes of detailing the statistical impact of varying data sources and inclusions for calibration of an analytic element groundwater model. For a regional groundwater model, resolution of hydrogeological features, used as boundary conditions, affects the output of travel time, head, and flux in quantifiably different ways. This hypothesis was evaluated using a synthetic steady-state, unconfined model, based on a real-world system. This synthetic model established a baseline for subsequent comparison models of lower element resolution. Using a GIS algorithm, the model elements were simplified to varying degrees to establish new sets of boundary conditions. Each of the new, simplified models was then calibrated to the flow solution of the synthetic model using observations of head, flux, and travel time. Results indicate that decreasing resolution of stream and lake elements has a greater impact on the flow solution than the simplification of the aquifer's conductivity distribution. Based on comparison of the sum of squared errors, head and flux are similarly affected by element resolution, though the magnitude of the errors is much greater for flux, while travel time is only marginally affected. Using the simplification levels within the GIS interface, head and flux observations presented an initial gradual escalation in errors with a sudden increase beyond level six, while travel time presented a smoother, linear increase. When presented with data and computational resource limitations, this analysis demonstrates that reliable piezometric head data and preservation of surficial feature details within the model domain may provide an adequate flow solution without exhaustive subsurface characterization.
DE: 1829 Groundwater hydrology
DE: 1832 Groundwater transport
DE: 1846 Model calibration (3333)
DE: 1847 Modeling
DE: 1873 Uncertainty assessment (3275)
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting