INTRODUCTION

Dr.rer.nat. Thomas T. Putranto

PROFESSIONAL APPLICATION
Evaluating groundwater remediation systems
Delineating well capture zones for wellhead protection
Simulating natural attenuation of contaminated
groundwater
Estimating the reductive dechlorination of TCE, PCE and
DCE in groundwater
Determining exposure pathways for risk assessment

MODEL DESIGN FEATURES

Interactive model display using plan, cross-sectional, and full 3D views
Standard point-and-click functionality for assigning model input data
Import AutoCAD (.dxf) files or bitmap image (.bmp) files for site base
maps
Rotate and align the model grid over the site base map
Graphical grid design tools and automatic grid smoothing for improved
model convergence
Grid Cell Elevation Editor for on-the-fly modifications to cell elevations
Import variable layer surface elevations from ASCII (X,Y,Z), or Surfer
(.grd) files
Import time schedules for transient boundary conditions and
observation points

SIMULATION CAPABILITIES

Visualization using VMOD 3D-Explorer

Create contour/color maps of model properties and simulation results
Present graphical summaries of global and local mass budgets
Create model calibration plots and statistical summaries including mean error,
absolute mean error, standard deviation, and many more!
Full control of map overlays - save your overlay configurations and view only the
overlays you require!
Display 3D pumping wells and observation wells
Represent soil property zones and boundary conditions in 3D
Render high resolution 3D volumetric contaminant plumes
Create irregular shaped cross-sections
3D pathlines with time markers
Define 3D cut-away regions
Animate sequential degradation of contaminant plumes and save into *.AVI file format
for use in Microsoft PowerPoint presentations!

Description of the Example Model

The site is located near an airport just
outside of Waterloo.
The surficial geology at the site consists
of an upper sand and gravel aquifer, a
lower sand and gravel aquifer, and a clay
and silt aquitard separating the upper
and lower aquifers.
The relevant site features consist of a
plane refuelling area, a municipal water
supply well field, and a discontinuous
aquitard zone. These features are
illustrated in the following figure.

Description of the Example Model

The municipal well field consists of two
wells.
The east well pumps at a constant rate of
550 m3/day, while the west well pumps at
a constant rate of 400 m3/day.
Over the past ten years, airplane fuel has
periodically been spilled in the refuelling
area and natural infiltration has produced a
plume of contamination in the upper
aquifer.
This tutorial will guide you through the
steps necessary to build a groundwater
flow and contaminant transport model for
this site.

When discussing the site, in plan view, the top of

the site will be designated as north, the bottom of
the site as south, the left as west, and the right as
east.
Groundwater flow is from north to south (top to
bottom) in a three-layer system consisting of an
upper unconfined aquifer, an intervening middle
aquitard, and a lower confined aquifer, as
illustrated in the following figure.
The upper aquifer and lower aquifers have a
hydraulic conductivity of 2e-4 m/sec and the
aquitard has a hydraulic conductivity of 1e-10
m/sec.

MODEL DEVELOPMENT STEPS

Module 1 - Creating and Defining a Flow Model
Module 2 - Assigning Particles and Transport
Parameters
Module 3 - Running Visual MODFLOW
Module 4 - Output Visualization

Module I: Creating and Defining a Flow Model

Section 1: Generating a New Model

Module I: Creating and Defining a Flow Model

 ; Create model using base Map

Next, you must specify the location and the file
name of the .DXF background map.
[Browse]
Navigate to the tutorial directory (default
c:\VMODNT\Tutorial) and select the following file:
Sitemap.dxf
[Open]
Next, you will specify the number of rows,
columns, and layers to be used in the model. Enter
the following into the Model Domain section,
Number of Columns (j): 40
Number of Rows (i): 40
Number of Layers (k): 3
Zmin: 0
Zmax: 18
Length : m
Time : days
Conductivity : m/second
Pumping Rate : m3/day
Recharge : mm/year
Mass Concentration : mg/L

 [Create] to accept these settings

A Select Model Region dialog box will appear
prompting you to define the extents of the model
area. Visual MODFLOW will read the minimum and
maximum co-ordinates fro the site map
(Sitemap.dxf) and suggest a default that is centred
in the model domain. Visual MODFLOW now allows
the user to rotate and align the model grid over
the site map, use local co-ordinates, and set the
extents of the DXF map. If a bitmap was used as
background map, the image can be geo-referenced
and the grid can be aligned on the bitmap as well.
Type the following values over the numbers shown
on the screen:

Section 2: Refining the Model Grid

By default the Add Grid Edit option is selected. Move the mouse anywhere in the grid. Notice
that a highlighted vertical line follows the location of the mouse throughout the model grid.
This line may be used to add a column at any location within the model domain. Add vertical
gridlines at specified intervals by clicking on the RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON to bring up the Add
Vertical Line dialog box as shown below.

Visual MODFLOW allows you to import variable layer elevations from surfer.grd files or
from space delimited x, y, z ASCII files. In this example, we will import an ASCII x, y, z
file to create a sloping ground surface topography and layers with variable thickness.
[Import Elevation] from the left-hand menu
The following dialog box will appear:
[Choose Filename]
An Import Surface dialog box will appear listing the
available *.ASC, *.TXT, and *.XYZ files. The file you
will import for the ground surface elevations is
airpt_gs.asc. To select the ground surface
topography
file,

airpt_gs.asc
To accept the remaining default settings,
[OK]
This will import a variable surface generally sloping from 20
meters at the northern boundary to 17 meters at the southern
boundary.
Visual MODFLOW reads the x, y, z data from the file and uses
an inverse-distance squared interpolation routine to assign
block center elevations for the top of each cell in layer 1 using

Now you will import the surface elevations for the

bottom of layer 1.
[Import Elevation]
[Choose Filename]airpt_b1.asc to select the
elevation data for the bottom of layer 1
Import bottom elevation of Layer: 1 (the value
in box by default is '1') Minimum Layer Thickness:
0.75
[OK] to select the remaining default parameter
After a few seconds the bottom of layer 1 will
values
appear with a variable layer surface. Next you will
import the surface elevations for the bottom of
layer 2.
[Import Elevation]
[Choose Filename] to select the input data file to
import airpt_b2.asc to select the elevation data for
the bottom of layer 2
Import bottom elevation of Layer:
Layer: 2
Minimum Layer Thickness: 0.75

[OK] to select the remaining default parameter

values
The bottom of layer 2 will then appear with a
variable layer surface. Next you will import the
surface elevations for the bottom of layer 3.

[Import
Elevation] from the left
toolbarthe
[Choose
Filename]airpt_b3.asc
to select
elevation data for the bottom of layer 3
Import bottom elevation of Layer:
Layer: 3
Minimum Layer Thickness: 0.75
[OK] to select the remaining default parameter
values
The bottom of layer 3 will then appear with a
variable layer surface.
To obtain a finer vertical discretization of the model
grid,
you Grid]
will subdivide each of the layers.
[Edit
[Edit Layers]
Move the mouse into the model cross-section. A deforming horizontal line will follow the mouse
elevation within the model cross-section. To sub-divide a layer, move the line to the approximate
vertical mid-point of layer 1 and press the left mouse button. A layer division will be added in this
location.
To sub-divide the middle confining layer, move the mouse such that the horizontal line is within

 Split current layer into '2' evenly spaced layers

[OK]
Repeat this action for the bottom layer of the
model.
When you have completed these instructions,
[Close] to exit the Layers dialog box
The model cross-section should now consist of six
layers and should appear similar to the following
figure when viewing column 30:

Section 3: Adding Wells

The purpose of this section will be to guide you
through the steps necessary to assign pumping
wells
to thefrom
model.
[Wells]
the top menu bar
[Pumping Wells] from the drop-down menu
You will be asked to save your data: [Yes] to
continue
Once your model has been saved, you will be
transferred to the Well Input screen. Notice that
the left menu options are new well-specific options.
To start, zoom in on the area surrounding the
supply wells (lower right-hand section of the model
domain).
[F5 - Zoom In]
Move the cursor to the upper left of the supply
wells and click on the left mouse button. Then
stretch a box around the supply wells and click
again to close the zoom window.
To add a pumping well to your model,
[Add Well]
Move
to the west
well and
clickSupply
on it. A
Click in
the the
textcursor
box labelled
Well Name:
type:
Well 1

To add a well screen interval, click once in the

column labelled Screen Bottom and enter the
following values:
Screen Bottom (m):0.3
Screen Top (m): 5.0
Notice the well screen interval appears in the well
bore on the right-hand side of the window.
Alternatively you can graphically assign the well
screen by clicking the RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON on
the well bore and choosing Add Well Screen. Then
click-and-drag the mouse where you want to add
the well screen.
To enter the well pumping schedule, click the left
End (days): 7300
mouse button once inside the text box under the
Rate
(m3/d):
-400 End (days) and enter the following
column
labelled
information.

 [OK] to accept this well information.

If you have failed to enter any required data Visual
MODFLOW will prompt you to complete the table at
this time.
The next step is to assign the well parameters for
the second pumping well by using a shortcut. This
will allow you to copy the characteristics from one
well to another location.
[Copy Well] from the left toolbar
Move the cursor on top of the west well and click
on it. Then move the cursor to the location of the
east well location and click again to copy the well.
Next you will edit the well information from the
copied well.
[Edit Well] from the left toolbar
Select the new east well by clicking on the well
symbol.
An Edit Well dialog box will appear.
Click and highlight the text in the text box labelled
[OK] to accept these well parameters
Well Name:type: Supply Well 2
Click in the text box labelled Rate (m3/d),
type: -550

ection 4: Assigning Model Properties

This section will guide you through the steps
necessary to design a model with layers of highly
contrasting hydraulic conductivities.

[Properties] on the top menu bar

[Conductivity]
[Yes] to save your data

Hydraulic conductivity distributions can be

graphically assigned to any region of the model (in
layer view, or in cross-section) using the
[Assign/Single], [Assign/Polygon], or
[Assign/Window] tools.
Enter
the following
values
using
the format
Hydraulic
Conductivity
in x,Kx
(m/s):
2e-4
indicated.
Hydraulic Conductivity in y Ky (m/s):
2e-4 (automatic)
Hydraulic Conductivity in z,Kz (m/s):
2e-4
1e-4
Specific Storage, Ss (1/m):
0.2
Sy:
Specific Yield,
0.15
Effective Porosity, Eff.Por:
0.15
Total Porosity,
Tot. Por:

 [OK] to accept these values

Move the mouse to the north-west corner of the
When you are entering the K values, Ky will be
grid and click on the centre of the cell. Then move
filled in automatically since Visual MODFLOW
the mouse to the south-east corner and click on
assumes horizontal isotropy. However, anisotropic the centre of the cell. This creates a window
property values can also be assigned.
covering the entire layer.
You will now assign conductivity values to the
An Assign K Property dialog box will appear.
aquitard contained in layers 3 and 4. [Goto] from [New] (the whole grid will turn blue)
the left toolbar
Enter the following aquitard conductivity values,
The Go To Layer dialog box appears
Click on theKx
Kx(m/s)
(m/s)1e-10
text box
and enter the
type: 3
following values:
Ky (m/s) 1e-10
[OK]
You are now viewing the third layer of model (layer
Kz (m/s) 1e-11
1 is the top layer). In this six layer model, layers 3
[OK] to accept these valuesNow copy the hydraulic
and 4 represent the aquitard separating the upper
conductivity properties of layer 3 to layer 4.
and lower aquifers. The next step in this tutorial is
[Copy] from the left toolbar
to assign a lower hydraulic conductivity value to
[Layer]
layers 3 and 4.
The [Assign][Window] function allows you to assignA Copy dialog box will appear.
a different hydraulic conductivity inside of a
Copy all properties
rectangular window. Now, assign a lower hydraulic
[Layer 4] (this will highlight it)
[Assign]
conductivity to the aquitard (layers 3 and 4).
[OK] to copy the K Properties in layer 3 to layer
[Window]
4.