About Groundwater Education

A simple computer model to simulate groundwater flow is set up as a web application. The well-known open-source model MODFLOW is used. Users can interact with the model through a web browser and can study the interconnections between groundwater and surface water. Users can investigate how groundwater pumping affects streamflow and wetlands. The model can be used in high-school earth science curricula and by the general public.

Credits

• Ven Te Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory,
  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
  College of Engineering,
  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Albert Valocchi
  • Yao Hu
• Office for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education (MSTE),
  College of Education,
  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Samantha Lindgren
  • Michael McKelvey
  • Evan Ramos
  • Rebecca Byrd
  • Jana Sebestik
  • Khishigdelger Ganbold

Publications

• Hu, Y., Valocchi, A. J., Lindgren, S. A., Ramos, E. A. and Byrd, R. A. (2015), Groundwater Modeling with MODFLOW as a Web Application. Groundwater, 53: 834-835. doi:10.1111/gwat.12372

Other listings

• How Many People Can the Aquifer Support? — selected for NAGT's On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Collection

This applet was developed as part of "Improving Prediction of Subsurface Flow and Transport through Exploratory Data Analysis and Complementary Modeling," Award No. 0943627, supported by NSF, Hydrologic Science Program.