Preliminary evaluation of the importance of existing hydraulic-head observation locations to advective-transport predictions, Death Valley regional flow system, California and Nevada
When a model is calibrated by nonlinear regression, calculated diagnostic statistics and measures of uncertainty provide a wealth of information about many aspects of the system. This report presents a method of ranking the likely importance of existing observation locations using measures of prediction uncertainty. It is suggested that continued monitoring is warranted at more important locations, and unwarranted or less warranted at less important locations. The report develops the methodology and then demonstrates it using the hydraulic-head observation locations of a three-layer model of the Death Valley regional flow system (DVRFS). The predictions of interest are subsurface transport from beneath Yucca Mountain and 14 underground Test Area (UGTA) sites. The advective component of transport is considered because it is the component most affected by the system dynamics represented by the regional-scale model being used. The problem is addressed using the capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey computer program MODFLOW-2000, with its ADVective-Travel Observation (ADV) Package, and an additional computer program developed for this work.
- Research Organization:
- United States Geological Survey - Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Nevada Operations Office (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AI08-96NV11967
- OSTI ID:
- 786301
- Report Number(s):
- USGS WRIR 00-4282; TRN: US0108877
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 1 Aug 2001
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
A Guide for Using the Transient Ground-Water Flow Model of the Death Valley Regional Ground-Water Flow System, Nevada and California
Preliminary estimates of spatially distributed net infiltration and recharge for the Death Valley region, Nevada-California