Calibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modelling: Credibility of Modelling

(Proceedings of ModelCARE 2007 Conference, held in Denmark, September 2007). IAHS Publ. 320, 2008, 176-181.

 

An efficient variable storage coefficient (VSC) approach for 3-D groundwater modelling of wetlands

 

E.-R. TR†BGER1, H.-J. G. DIERSCH2, TH. SALZMANN1 & K. MIEGEL1

1 Institute for Environmental Engineering, University of Rostock, Satower Str. 48, D-18051 Rostock, Germany

ellen-rose@truebger.de

2 DHI-WASY GmbH, Waltersdorfer Str. 105, D-12526 Berlin, Germany

 

Abstract Modelling the actual soil water storage capacity of wetlands by using the proposed VSC (Variable Storage Coefficient) module simulation results can be significantly improved in situations of fluctuating groundwater tables. It is shown that VSC-based groundwater table solutions agree very well with full Richards equation solutions resulting from a rigorous unsaturated flow simulation in 3-D. Using the much simpler VSC approach provides the advantage that no parameterisation for unsaturated flow is needed. Furthermore, the required water retention relationships do not have to be adjusted to a parametric function and can be directly used in the form of discrete tabular values.

 

Key words  wetland; numerical groundwater modelling; soil water retention; FEFLOW; VSC module