Groundwater Modeling at the Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center
The Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center performs computer simulations using MODFLOW to simulate groundwater/surface-water interaction, quantify groundwater resources, and evaluate the effects of withdrawals on future groundwater supplies for aquifers in Oklahoma and Texas.
OBJECTIVES
Groundwater models have become increasingly important in solving scientific problems related to groundwater flow and availability in aquifers around the United States. To this end, the Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center performs computer simulations using MODFLOW, USGS’s three-dimensional finite-difference numerical groundwater-modeling code. This open-source code is used to simulate groundwater/surface-water interaction, quantify groundwater resources, and evaluate the effects of withdrawals on future groundwater supplies and land subsidence for aquifers in Oklahoma and Texas.
To improve the fit between historical (observed) data and model-simulated data, automated model calibration is performed using the parameter estimation code PEST (Doherty, 2010), BeoPEST (Schreüder, 2009), a parallelized version of PEST, and PEST++ (Welter and others, 2015). The BeoPEST and PEST++ codes are run on an in-house high-performance-computing array that provides access to concentrated parallel computing resources to solve complex or computation-heavy problems. This parallel approach enables groundwater modeling and data analysis on a scale that is not otherwise possible using a single computer.
CAPABILITIES
- Simulation of coupled groundwater/surface-water interaction using open-source MODFLOW software.
- Estimation of spatially distributed recharge using the soil-water-balance code (Westenbroek and others, 2010) based on daily climatological data.
- Application of optimization techniques to find the best allocation of surface-water and groundwater resources.
- Dedicated high performance computing array capable of running over 200 simultaneous processes, such as numerical and climatological models, statistical methods, or uncertainty analysis.
CURRENT PROJECTS
Boone and Roubidoux Aquifers Study
Salt Fork Arkansas River Alluvial Aquifer Study
MODEL ARCHIVES
Model archives for projects published prior to October 1, 2017, are available upon request. Model archives published after October 1, 2017, are available via the USGS Water Resources NSDI Node or ScienceBase.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
MODFLOW and Related Programs
MODFLOW One-Water Hydrologic Flow Model—Conjunctive Use Simulation Software (MF-OWHM)
Soil-Water-Balance (SWB): A modified Thornthwaite-Mather model for estimating groundwater recharge
Boone and Roubidoux Aquifers Study
Investigation of Hydrogeology and Water Availability in the Osage Nation of Oklahoma
Rush Springs Aquifer Study
North Fork Red River Aquifer Study
Upper Washita River Alluvial Aquifer Study
Salt Fork Red River Alluvial Aquifer Study
Red River Water Availability and Use and Ecological Characteristics Focus Area Study
The Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center performs computer simulations using MODFLOW to simulate groundwater/surface-water interaction, quantify groundwater resources, and evaluate the effects of withdrawals on future groundwater supplies for aquifers in Oklahoma and Texas.
OBJECTIVES
Groundwater models have become increasingly important in solving scientific problems related to groundwater flow and availability in aquifers around the United States. To this end, the Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center performs computer simulations using MODFLOW, USGS’s three-dimensional finite-difference numerical groundwater-modeling code. This open-source code is used to simulate groundwater/surface-water interaction, quantify groundwater resources, and evaluate the effects of withdrawals on future groundwater supplies and land subsidence for aquifers in Oklahoma and Texas.
To improve the fit between historical (observed) data and model-simulated data, automated model calibration is performed using the parameter estimation code PEST (Doherty, 2010), BeoPEST (Schreüder, 2009), a parallelized version of PEST, and PEST++ (Welter and others, 2015). The BeoPEST and PEST++ codes are run on an in-house high-performance-computing array that provides access to concentrated parallel computing resources to solve complex or computation-heavy problems. This parallel approach enables groundwater modeling and data analysis on a scale that is not otherwise possible using a single computer.
CAPABILITIES
- Simulation of coupled groundwater/surface-water interaction using open-source MODFLOW software.
- Estimation of spatially distributed recharge using the soil-water-balance code (Westenbroek and others, 2010) based on daily climatological data.
- Application of optimization techniques to find the best allocation of surface-water and groundwater resources.
- Dedicated high performance computing array capable of running over 200 simultaneous processes, such as numerical and climatological models, statistical methods, or uncertainty analysis.
CURRENT PROJECTS
Boone and Roubidoux Aquifers Study
Salt Fork Arkansas River Alluvial Aquifer Study
MODEL ARCHIVES
Model archives for projects published prior to October 1, 2017, are available upon request. Model archives published after October 1, 2017, are available via the USGS Water Resources NSDI Node or ScienceBase.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.