Study

Certficate course in

Applied Groundwater Modelling with Emphasis on Data Integration

To exploit, protect and manage groundwater resources in a sound manner requires a thorough understanding of groundwater flow and transport processes and quantification of these processes in time and space. This is typically done by groundwater modelling. Groundwater modelling is nowadays indispensable for modern planning and management of groundwater resources in sustainable manner.

For the reliable setup of groundwater model, good understanding of the hydrogeological system and data describing its spatio-temporal characteristic are needed. This can be best achieved by data acquisition based on the combination of EO (Earth Observation), geophysical remote sensing techniques for spatial assessment as well as hydrological monitoring for temporal assessment. Various techniques of such data acquisition and data integration in groundwater models will be discussed. Afterwards model calibration will be carried out using forward and inverse methods. The calibrated models will be finally used to show their applicability in groundwater management such as for example determination of borehole safe yield, design of wellhead protection zone, remedial of contamination etc.

What will be achieved?

General objectives:

• Understand different hydrogeological modeling concepts and their limitations;
• Develop practical skills such as setting-up a model applying modern data integration techniques, calibrating model, applying models in groundwater management.

Specific objectives:

• Understand principles of groundwater flow and system analysis;
• Understand concept of radial flow to the well and learn to analyse pumping test data;
• Understand the concept of MODFLOW code and learn groundwater flow modelling by setting up MODFLOW model;
• Learn to acquire and integrate spatial (earth observation, hydrogeophysical and field cartography) and temporal monitoring data in MODFLOW model;
• Understand concept of model calibration applying automated optimization technique and apply it in practice using PESTcode;
• Understand principles of unsaturated zone water flow and model subsurface water fluxes including recharge applying HYDRUS 1D code;
• Use coupled HYDRUS-MODFLOW code to simulate simultaneous, saturated and unsaturated zone water flow; 
• Learn principles of advective and dispersive contaminant transport modeling with PATH3D and MT3DMS and apply it on the earlier developed MODFLOW model;
• Learn how to carry out sensitivity analysis and how to evaluate model uncertainty;
• Apply groundwater model flow and transport modeling in groundwater management case study involving: (i) setting up model and data integration; (ii) model calibration including sensitivity and uncertainty analysis; (iii) design of the optimal wellfield location and its safe yield; (iv) complete the project with report and defend it.

What is the course content?

The course consists in total of 6 weeks in which groundwater modelling, specific applications and the role of EO in groundwater modelling will be discussed. The 6 weeks will start with methods of groundwater resources assessment, and then is followed by principles of groundwater modelling, spatio-temporal data integration, transport modelling and finally application of all these techniques in the groundwater management study case that will be completed by report and oral defence.

In the first three weeks of the course, lectures will be interacted with exercises to demonstrate various aspects of the groundwater system analysis and groundwater modelling such as: assessment of hydrogeological parameters with pumping tests, hydrology of unsaturated zone, assessment of recharge and discharge with SWAP, theory of groundwater flow, theory and practice of groundwater modelling with MODFLOW, theory and practice of automated calibration applying PEST optimization, theory and practice of advective transport modeling with PMPATH and theory and practice of advective-dispersive transport modeling with MT3DMS.

In the second half of the course i.e. in the last three weeks of the course, the individual groundwater modelling study cases will be carried out by students. They will involve: data processing, numerical model setup, spatio-temporal data integration, model calibration, model sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, prediction scenarios related to safe yield and contaminant transport modelling and finally project reporting. The overall program will be interacted by special lectures on: the role of remote sensing in groundwater modelling, role of hydrogeophysics in groundwater modelling, coupling of models etc.

Admission requirements

Academic level and background

Applicants for the Certificate programme should have a Bachelor degree or equivalent from a recognised university in a discipline related to the course, preferably combined with working experience in a relevant field.

Some courses in the Certificate programme or separate modules require knowledge of, and skills in, working with GIS and/or digital image processing of remotely sensed data.

Skills in taught or related subjects are a prerequisite for some courses in the Certificate programme or separate modules. Even if the applicant satisfies the overall admission requirements, acceptance is not automatic.

English language

As all courses are given in English, proficiency in the English language is a prerequisite. If you are a national of one of the countries in this list (PDF), you are exempted from an English language test. Please note: the requirements when applying for fellowships may vary according to the regulations of the fellowship provider.

English language tests: minimum requirements

Only internationally recognised test results are accepted.

Computer skills

Applicants lacking computer experience are strongly advised to follow basic courses in their home countries.