The groundwater modeling tool for GRASS (GMTG): Open source groundwater flow modeling

• Published in: Computers & geosciences Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 339 - 351
• Main Authors: Carrera-Hernández, J.J., Gaskin, S.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Areal geology. Maps; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Geographic Information Systems; Geologic maps, cartography; GRASS; Groundwater modeling; Hydrogeology; Hydrology. Hydrogeology; MODFLOW; GRASS; Geographic Information Systems; Groundwater modeling; MODFLOW; models; finite difference analysis; data processing; ground water; geographic information systems; hydrodynamics; digital simulation; water resources; aquifers; water resource management; computers
• ISSN: 0098-3004; 1873-7803
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cageo.2005.06.018

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used to store, manipulate and visualize both spatial and non-spatial data. Because of their data manipulating capabilities, GIS have been linked to different simulation models in different research areas and are commonly used for both surface and ground water modeling. Unfortunately this has been done mainly with proprietary GIS which are expensive and which do not provide access to their source code thus making them hard to customize. In order to overcome these problems, a module was created in the Open Source Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS) GIS to integrate it with the finite difference groundwater flow model MODFLOW, to take full advantage of the GIS capabilities. The results obtained with this module, when compared to those obtained with an existing MODFLOW pre and post-processor show that it can be used to develop groundwater flow models using uniform grid spacing on the horizontal plane. This module provides a tool for groundwater flow modeling to those users who cannot afford the commercially available processors and/or to those who wish to develop their models within a GIS.