Calibration of groundwater flow models using Monte Carlo simulations and geostatistics

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6536900

Hoeksema, R J ^[1]; Clapp, R B ^[2]

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1. Calvin Coll., Grand Rapids, MI (USA)
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)

Groundwater flow models require specification of several input parameter fields which are inferred from limited data. In this paper the hydraulic conductivity and recharge rate are estimated for an unconfined aquifer under steady flow conditions. Usually point observations of conductivity and head are available for the estimation of the distributed conductivity field and the recharge rate. Use of numerical flow models require that these fields be prescribed as average values over finite elements. The geostatistical solution to this problem uses linear estimation to obtain the distributed conductivity field and the recharge rate. Monte Carlo simulations are used here to compute the covariances associated with the head data. Results obtained for both artificial and real data show that the head data is effective in improving the estimates that would result using conductivity data alone. The use of Monte Carlo simulations results in a method which can be used under a wider variety of modeling conditions than previous applications of the geostatistical approach. 11 refs., 2 figs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/ER
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6536900
• Report Number(s): CONF-9009254-1; ON: DE90017737
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540310* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200 -- Mathematics & Computers
AQUIFERS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
FLOW MODELS
GROUND WATER
HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
ONE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
STATISTICS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
WATER