An Introduction to MODFLOW

What is MODFLOW?
Widely used ground-water flow simulation program that runs on any
platform (Windows, Sun, Unix, Linux,). Mostly written in standard FORTRAN (GMG is C++) Solves the ground-water flow equation with different possible properties, boundary conditions, and initial conditions First version, 1983, McDonald and Harbaugh. Written to serve USGS needs. Education emphasized. MODFLOW escaped! Public domain (Free) Open source (Anyone can check and change the source code) Changed versions are sometimes commercial its up to the developer Well documented Modularly constructed (More later) Latest version: MODFLOW-2005 (Harbaugh, 2005)

What is MODFLOW? Cited in statutes, legally tested 250,000 hits on Google for MODFLOW Many other programs use results from or are based
on MODFLOW:

Public domain/open source

MT3DMS (multi-species solute or heat transport, some reactions,

Commercial MODHMS-Surfact (Integrated sw/gw/unsat) GUIs: Visual MODFLOW, Groundwater Vistas, GMS, PMWin,

dual porosity) (Chunmiao Zheng, U Alabama) MODPATH (particle tracking) (Dave Pollock, USGS) SEAWAT (density-dependent transport using MODFLOW and MT3DMS) (Chris Langevin, USGS) Phreeqc connections (PHT3D) (Henning Prommer)

What is MODFLOW?
Program organized into MODules Activate the capabilities you need; no overhead

from other capabilities (execution time, RAM) The structure is clear and documented for adding additional capabilities such as new equations Modularity in Processes and Packages

What is MODFLOW-2005?
Latest release of USGS MODFLOW Internal computer storage redesigned to support storage of multiple models necessary for local grid refinement and facilitate linkages to other models (GSFLOW = MODFLOW + PRMS). Parameter-estimation, sensitivity analysis, uncertainty now from UCODE_2005

Who is MODFLOW?

Collaborative open-source development with roots at the USGS Some USGS developers
Arlen Harbaugh (MODFLOW, Reston, Virginia, USA) Ned Banta (MODFLOW-2000, Lakewood, Colorado, USA) Mary Hill (SA/PE/UA, MODFLOW-2000, UCODE, MMA, Boulder, Colorado, USA) Steffen Mehl (local grid refinement (LGR), SA/PE/UA, now at CalSU-Chico, USA) Stan Leake (compaction and subsidence, TMR, Tucson, Arizona, USA) John Hoffman (compaction and subsidence, TMR, Tucson, Arizona, USA) Dave Prudic (gw/sw interaction, STR, SFR, GSFLOW, Carson City, Nevada, USA) Rick Niswonger (gw/sw interactions, SFR, GSFLOW, Carson City, Nevada. USA) Paul Barlow (ground-water management, MODMAN, Reston, VA, USA) Randy Hanson (FARM Process, MNW, San Diego, USA) Alden Provost (HUF, Reston, VA) Dave Pollock (particle tracking, MODPATH, Reston, Virginia, USA) Chris Langevin (transport, saltwater intrusion, SEAWAT, Miami, Florida, USA) Lennie Konikow (transport extended from MOC3D, GWT, Reston, Virginia, USA) George Hornberger (transport extended from MOC3D, GWT, Reston, Virginia, USA) Chunmiao Zheng (transport, MT3DMS, University of Alabama, USA) Eileen Poeter (UCODE, MMA, Colorado School of Mines, IGWMC, Golden, CO, USA) Evan Anderman (ADV, HUF, now at EvanAnderman.com, photography) Henning Prommer (MODFLOW+PHREEQC, CSIRO, Perth, Australia) Wolfgang Schmid (FARM Process, U. of Arizona, USA) David Ahlfeld (ground-water management, GWM, U. of Massachusetts, USA) You???

Some non-USGS developers

MODFLOW-2005 Processes
Processes each solve a fundamental equation. Of
importance in this class are

Ground-water Flow (GWF)

Kh = S(h/t)

Observation (OBS)

y = y + e

GWF Packages
Packages each represent a type of system
feature. Of importance in this class are

Package that defines model layers and properties:

Layer-Property Flow (LPF) Package

Packages used to add/remove water at a specified

rate: Well (WEL) Recharge (RCH)

Packages that add/remove water based on head in the

aquifer: General-Head Boundary (GHB) River (RIV)

How Processes and Packages Interact

GWF Process LPF Package
Define K and S properties, possibly using parameters. Calculate contributions to the matrix equations Define ricer properties, possibly using parameters. Calculate contributions to the matrix equations.

OBS Process
No observations are now defined for the LPF Package. Possible observations are internal flows. River gain and loss observations can be defined.

RIV Package

In MODFLOW, subroutines are named using the three-letter identifiers for processes and packages. For example, GWF1LPF6RP

Back to the world of users instead of programmers -What is required for a simulation?

Tell the program what capabilities to use

Name file (NAM)

Package input files for each process (only the GWF Process is always required)

Basic (BAS6) (can define constant head BCs here) Discretization (DIS) Hydrogeologic info (here, LPF)

Solver. Here we use

Preconditioned Conjugate Gradient (PCG)

Activating capabilities

Turn Packages on and define input files using the NAME file Example:
# GW Flow process input files bas6 41 tc1.bas lpf 42 tc1.lpf wel 43 tc1.wel pcg 44 ../data/tc1.pcg .
. .

Basics of Data Input

List data

Array data

Data input using lists

of cells layer row column Example: 1 3 43 . 2 62 53 .

Data input in arrays with

one row for each row of the model grid and one column for each column of the model grid. Sometimes repeat one array for each model layer. # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # . . .

What is MODFLOW?

Input files (plain text or binary)

MODFLOW is a calculation program

Output files (plain text or binary)

Often use MODFLOW through a (Graphical) User Interface

Maps Model

Results

Class exercise

MODFLOW capabilities used in class

MODFLOW Packages used Layer-Property Flow (LPF) Recharge (RCH) River (RIV) General-Head Boundary (GHB) Advective Transport (ADV) Preconditioned-Conjugate Gradient
(PCG) MODFLOW Processes used Ground-Water Flow (GWF) Observations (OBS) UCODE_2005 capabilities used Sensitivity Parameter-Estimation

Aspects of flow model creation

Conceptual model Base map Grid design Areal Model layers (thickness can be variable) Boundary conditions Aquifer properties Pumping wells Recharge Time

Here, describe selected aspects of capabilities used in class

Head-dependent boundaries
Generally use many cells to define a feature. Here, shaded cells are used to simulate flow to compare to measured flow Q2-Q1. Other cells would be used to define the rest of the river.

From Hill+, 2000

Head-dependent boundaries
For each finite-difference cell n:

Qn = (KA/M)n (Hn hn)

A Areal view of typical cell n

Cross-section of typical cell n

(KA/M)n = Cn = conductance of assumed distinct streambed Often define Cn with parameters Cn=FnP1 Additive:
Cn= Fn1P1 + Fn2P2

Hn= water-body stage hn= simulated head

Cell center

Packages that represent headdependent boundaries

q=C(H-h) Important here: GHB:
GeneralHead Boundary RIV: River

qn Positive qn indicates flow into the subsurface

(A) GHB

GHB

EXPLANATION

qn

Slope = -Cn = -(KnAn)/Dn

Kn Dn

qn = 0

hn

An Cn

3/T) the simulated flow rate at one cell (L (negative for flow out of the ground -water system) the hydraulic conductivity (L/T) of, for example, the riverbed or lakebed the thickness (L) of, for example, the riverbed or lakebed the area of the water body within the finite difference cell (L2) the conductance calculated using K n, Dn, and An. is the simulated hydraulic head in the ground water system adjacent to the head -dependent boundary (L); and is the water level in the water body or the (C) elevation of the drain (L) is the bottom of the streambed qn Positive qn indicates flow into the subsurface (C) RIV

Negative qn indicates flow out of the subsurface

hn

Hn
Hn En (B) DRN

RIV
hn

qn
qn = 0

Slope = -Cn = -(KnAn)/Dn

hn Slope = -Cn = -(KnAn)/Dn

qn = 0 Negative qn indicates flow out of the subsurface

Hn

Negative qn indicates flow out of the subsurface

En

Hn

RIV Package with hn below RBOTn (hn<RBOTn)

Cell center

Pumping wells

Well (WEL) Package

List input: layer, row , column, rate (negative means

flow out of the ground-water system) Rate can be defined using parameters Problem: If a well intersects many model layers, how much water comes from each layer?

Flow model creation: Time

Steady state Inputs = outputs. No change in storage No time dimension: easier to visualize Errors in model setup more clear in results Transient Requires (often steady-state) initial conditions Requires a value for storage Stresses are defined using stress periods (time interval of

input) Each stress period is divided into time steps (time interval of head calculation).

Lengthy calculation times can produce large output files For some tips on when to go transient, see H.M.Haitjema
(2006) Role of Hand Calculations in Ground Water Flow Modeling, Ground Water.

Parameters

In the MODFLOW model for the class problem, parameters are used to define the following model inputs

Layer-Property Flow (LPF) Package Horizontal hydraulic conductivity of model layers (HK) Vertical hydraulic conductivity of an implicit confining unit

(VKCB) Recharge (RCH) Package Recharge rate (RCH) River (RIV) Package Riverbed conductance (RIV)

Values of defined parameters can be controlled using the PVAL file. This makes it easy for users of UCODE_2005, etc.

Parameters Model Input River Package input file

PARAMETER 1 18 18 54 MXACTR IRIVCB K_RB RIV 1.200000E-03 18 1 1 1 100. 1000. 90. . . . 1 18 1 100. 1000. 90. 0 1 ITMP NP -- Stress Period 1 K_RB

C of river bed equals the value in the package input file times the factor in the package input file. Here, the factor is 1000. C of river bed = 1000 0.0012 The factor can be different for different cells.

Parameters and PVAL file River Package input file

PARAMETER 1 18 18 54 MXACTR IRIVCB K_RB RIV 1.200000E-03 18 1 1 1 100. 1000. 90. . . . 1 18 1 100. 1000. 90. 0 1 ITMP NP -- Stress Period 1 K_RB
6 HK_2 HK_1 VK_CB K_RB RCH_2 RCH_1

PVAL file
1.523554700000E-5 4.619000000000E-4 9.903220000000E-8 .0011699900000000 38.39840000000000 47.55430000000000

C of river bed equals the value in PVAL times the factor in the package input file. Here, the factor is 1000. C of river bed = 1000 0.00116999 The factor can be different for different cells.

Easy to use UCODE_2005 to change parameter values in PVAL file.

Flow model creation: Observations

MODFLOWs Observation Process allows simulated values to be compared to observations. Here, use it for the following observations

Head observations
At a cell Changes in head over time

Flow observations
Over the reach of a feature represented by the RIV
Package

Observations Heads (HOB in name file)

10 0 0 50 1.E+30 NH,MOBS,MAXM,IUHOBSV,HOBDRY 1. TOMULTH (below, lay,r,c,ts,roff,coff,toff,obs) hd01.ss 1 3 1 1 0.0 0.0 0.0 101.80 hd02.ss 1 4 4 1 0.0 0.0 0.0 128.12 hd03.ss 1 10 9 1 0.0 0.0 0.0 156.68 . . . hd10.ss 2 18 6 1 0.0 0.0 0.0 142.02

River Gain
(RVOB in name file)

1 18 1 50 1.00000E+00 1 18 flow01.ss 1 0.0 -4.4 1 1 1 1.00 . . . 1 18 1 1.00

NQxx,NQCxx,NQTx TOMULTxx NQOBxx,NQCLxx ts,toff,obs lay,r,c,factor

Output file (data 50 ex8._os in name file)

"OBSERVED VALUE" 101.800003051758 128.119995117188 -4.40000009536743 "OBSERVATION NAME" hd01.ss hd02.ss flow01.ss

"SIMULATED EQUIVALENT" 100.209701538086 126.954444885254 . . . -4.41627883911133

Constructing input files

In class we will either use 00-MFI2005.exe or the files will be constructed already. Instructions for using 00_MFI2005.bat are provided in class.

Execute MODFLOW

Here, we will use 00-MFI2005.exe or already constructed batch files.

Detailed instructions are provided in the exercise

instructions.

Basically, need to provide the name file filename on the same line (this is often done in a batch file)
MODFLOW test.nam

Model results

Possible results for class problem (depends on options chosen)

Global budget (check for overall solution accuracy) Heads at each active cell in the grid at each time step Flows at each cell face Simulated equivalents to observations

Often use software to visualize results. In class, use ModelViewer

Pathline Modeling

Advective transport. Used here as a first investigation of transport predictions Requires:

Flow solution Porosity to determine velocity Starting locations

The particle tracking is calculated using MODPATH, which uses results produced by MODFLOW.