An integrated modelling approach for assessing the effect of multiscale complexity on groundwater source yields

• Published in: Journal of hydrology (Amsterdam) 2020-09, Vol.588, p.125113, Article 125113
• Main Authors: Upton, K.A., Jackson, C.R., Butler, A.P., Jones, M.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Groundwater; Multiscale modelling; OpenMI; Sustainable yield; Water resources
• ISSN: 0022-1694; 1879-2707
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.125113

•A multi-scale method is presented for simulating boreholes within regional models.•A radial flow model is linked to a regional groundwater model through OpenMI.•The method provides flexibility to use existing regional groundwater models.•The sustainable yield of a borehole can be assessed in the context of climate change. A new multi-scale groundwater modelling methodology is presented to simulate pumped water levels in abstraction boreholes within regional groundwater models, providing a robust tool for assessing the sustainable yield of supply boreholes and improving our understanding of groundwater availability during drought. A 3D borehole-scale model, which solves the Darcy-Forchheimer equation in cylindrical co-ordinates to simulate both linear and non-linear radial flow to a borehole in a heterogeneous aquifer, is embedded within a Cartesian grid, using a hybrid radial-Cartesian finite difference method. The local-scale model is coupled to a regional groundwater model, ZOOMQ3D, using the OpenMI model linkage software, providing a flexible and efficient tool for assessing the behaviour of a groundwater source within its regional hydrogeological context during historic droughts and under climate change. The advantages of the new method are demonstrated through application to a Chalk supply borehole in the UK.