Online Course: Applied Groundwater Flow Modeling with MODFLOW, Python and Flopy

MODFLOW6BasicExample_IsometricViewWaterTablewithEquipotentialSurfacesandBC.png

Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are commonly used to construct and post-process numerical groundwater flow. Flopy is the Python library that builds and executes MODFLOW models; this library has tools and options for the complete geo-referencing of a MODFLOW model.

Python is a simple and powerful programming language; its simplicity is remarkable compared to other programming languages and its power is based on the number of tools available for different areas of study.

Use of Python with the available scientific packages and FloPy, facilitates data exploration, alternative model evaluations and model analyses that can be difficult to perform with GUIs. One advantage of Flopy and Python is that there are many packages available to facilitate the model development process, including packages for plotting, array manipulation, optimization, and data analysis.

This course allows acquired knowledge of the open source programming language to construct model input files, run the model, and read and plot simulation results.

Objectives

The development of the course will allow the application of these groundwater modeling tools with Flopy and Python. In this course the student will learn:

  • Know the Python and Flopy environment.

  • Perform operations in Python and Flopy for hydrogeological purposes.

  • Analyze and spatially represent hydrogeological and model information with Python and Flopy.

 

Course content

Session 1: Introduction to Flopy

Exercise 1:

  • Introduction to Flopy,

  • Basic commands of Flopy

  • Basic construction of steady state model with Flopy

Exercise 2

  • Analysis basic model.

  • Graphical representation of model results whit Flopy.

Session 2: Time Varying conditions

Exercise 3:

  • Insert boundary conditions with Flopy (WEL, RIV)

  • Basic construction of transient model.

  • Analyze model results.

  • Plot hydraulic heads an flow directions.

Exercise 4:

  • Varying conditions in a transient model.

  • Insert hydrogeologic parameters: Ss and Sy.

  • Interactive representation of groundwater level

  • Use Pandas to represent observed values.

Session 3: Particle tracking and DISV grid

Exercise 5:

  • Introduction to MODFLOW 6 in Flopy.

  • Create a particle tracking model.

  • Generate refinement with grid “DISV”.

Exercise 6:

  • Simulation of particle tracking with MODPATH 7.

  • Generate refinement with “quadtree” and gridgen.

  • Analyze particle tracking as a function of time.

Session 4: Advanced packages and observations

Exercise 7:

  • Implementation of Streamflow Routing (SFR) and Multiaquifer Well (MAW) packages.

  • Coupling of multi-aquifer wells.

  • Extraction of river levels by cells.

  • Interrelation between wells and river.

Session 5: Triangular meshes and 3D anisotropy

Exercise 8:

  • Three-dimensional anisotropy with XT3D

  • Implementation of a flow model with triangular grids

Session 6: Regional modeling

Exercise 9:

  • Definition of spatial coordinate systems

  • Import and intersection of shapefiles in the grid

  • Coupling NWT to simulation

Final Exam

Trainer

Saul Montoya M.Sc. 

Saul Montoya M.Sc. is a Hydrogeologist and Numerical Modeler. Mr. Montoya is a Civil Engineer graduated from the Catholic University in Lima with postgraduate studies in Management and Engineering of Water Resources (WAREM Program) from Stuttgart University – Germany with mention in Groundwater Engineering and Hydroinformatics. Mr Montoya has a strong analytical capacity for the interpretation, conceptualization and modeling of the surface and underground water cycle and their interaction. 

He is in charge of numerical modeling for contaminant transport and remediation systems of contaminated sites. Inside his hydrological and hydrogeological investigations Mr. Montoya has developed a holistic comprehension of the water cycle, understanding and quantifying the main hydrological dynamic process of precipitation, runoff, evaporation and recharge to the groundwater system. 

Over the last 9 years Saul has developed 2 websites for knowledge sharing in water resources: www.gidahatari.com (Spanish) and www.hatarilabs.com (English) that have become relevant due to its applied tutorials on groundwater modeling, spatial analysis and computational fluid mechanics.

 

Methodology

Here are some details of each methodology:

  • Manuals and files for the exercises will be delivered.

  • The course will be developed by videos on private web platform.

  • There is online support for questions regarding the exercises developed in the course.

  • Digital certificate available at the end of the course.

  • Video of the classes will be available for 2 months.

  • To receive the digital certificate you must submit the exercises after 1 month.

Cost and payment

The cost of the course is $ 250 dollars.

This online course will be given on out elearning platform: elearning.hatarilabs.com . You will need to create an account to payment by Paypal and automatically you will register for the course.

For any other information please write to: saulmontoya@hatarilabs.com


 

Saul Montoya

Saul Montoya es Ingeniero Civil graduado de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú en Lima con estudios de postgrado en Manejo e Ingeniería de Recursos Hídricos (Programa WAREM) de la Universidad de Stuttgart con mención en Ingeniería de Aguas Subterráneas y Hidroinformática.