Using groundwater temperature data to constrain parameter estimation in a groundwater flow model of a wetland system

Water Resources Research
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Abstract

Parameter estimation is a powerful way to calibrate models. While head data alone are often insufficient to estimate unique parameters due to model nonuniqueness, flow‐and‐heat‐transport modeling can constrain estimation and allow simultaneous estimation of boundary fluxes and hydraulic conductivity. In this work, synthetic and field models that did not converge when head data were used did converge when head and temperature were used. Furthermore, frequency domain analyses of head and temperature data allowed selection of appropriate modeling timescales. Inflows in the Wilton, Wisconsin, wetlands could be estimated over periods such as a growing season and over periods of a few days when heads were nearly steady and groundwater temperature varied during the day. While this methodology is computationally more demanding than traditional head calibration, the results gained are unobtainable using the traditional approach. These results suggest that temperature can efficiently supplement head data in systems where accurate flux calibration targets are unavailable.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Using groundwater temperature data to constrain parameter estimation in a groundwater flow model of a wetland system
Series title Water Resources Research
DOI 10.1029/2000WR000172
Volume 38
Issue 8
Year Published 2002
Language English
Publisher American Geophysical Union
Description Article 1153; 14 p.
First page 28-1
Last page 28-14
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