Calibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modelling: From Uncertainty to Decision Making (Proceedings of ModelCARE’2005, The Hague, The Netherlands, June 2005). IAHS Publ. 304, 2006. pp.59–64.

Identification of hydrogeological models: application to tracer test analysis in a karst aquifer

CAROLINA MASSMANN1, STEFFEN BIRK1,3, RUDOLF LIEDL1,4 & TOBIAS GEYER2

1 Center for Applied Geoscience, University of Tübingen, Sigwartstrasse 10,
D-72076 Tübingen, Germany

2 Geoscientific Centre at the University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstrasse 3,
D-37077 Göttingen, Germany

  1. Now at: Institute for Earth Sciences, University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 26, A-8010 Graz, Austria
  2. Now at: Institute for Groundwater Management, Dresden University of Technology,
    D-01062 Dresden, Germany

rudolf.liedl@mailbox.tu-dresden.de

Abstract Several one-dimensional models were fitted to a tracer breakthrough curve measured at a karst spring. The models were compared and ranked using an information theory approach that considers the principle of parsimony. The tracer breakthrough could be most adequately reproduced by including a fraction of mobile water and some nonequilibrium process. It was found that the number of observations clearly affect the model ranking.

Keywords AIC; information theory; model calibration; model selection; tracer test