Significance of Groundwater Dynamics Within Hydrologic Models

Principal Investigator: Walter Illman

The project will develop a high-resolution numerical model that improves understanding of the interaction between groundwater and surface water systems. High quality data from various components of the hydrologic cycle will be used to first calibrate the model. The model will then be used to simulate a 3-year annual cycle of hydrologic fluxes. The output will be a fully-integrated hydrological model that will deepen our understanding of the role of groundwater flux in watershed hydrology.

The project should result in the ability to better diagnose and predict hydrologic changes arising from changes in climate and land use.

Geography

Monitoring sites in the Alder Creek Watershed within the Grand River basin

Bottom Line

Improve understanding of the significance of groundwater fluxes on surface water flow. This, in turn, will better predict hydrologic fluxes due to climate and land use changes.