Sunday Courses

Several courses will be organised pre-congress on Sunday.

For more information, please contact Marijke Huysmans (marijke.huysmans@vub.be).

Should you wish to attend those, please select the relevant course upon registration.

  • Workshop Time Series Analysis for Hydrogeologists with Pastas

Intro: Time series modeling has become an increasingly popular method to solve groundwater problems.
This workshop provides a theoretical and practical introduction into time series modeling, with hands-on exercises using the open source modeling software Pastas and Jupyter Notebooks. We focus on time series models using impulse response functions to describe groundwater level fluctuations. This data-driven method can for example be used to investigate which hydrological forcings (e.g., precipitation, evaporation) influence the groundwater levels, but also to quantify groundwater recharge and the effect of
groundwater pumping.

This workshop is aimed at groundwater researchers and practitioners interested in using time series models in their hydrogeological studies. No previous experience with time series modeling is required, but some familiarity with Python is highly recommended to successfully complete the in-class exercises performed in Jupyter Notebooks. During the day there will be a number of example case studies and plenty of opportunities for discussions. After this course participants will be able to identify when the
approach can be helpful, and apply simple time series models to solve real-world groundwater problems.

Where and When : IAH Congress Brussels, Sunday 5th of September, 2021
Tutors: Raoul Collenteur (University of Graz), Mark Bakker (Delft University of Technology) , Frans Schaars (Artesia)
Costs: 200 euro, includes coffee, lunch, and drinks
Max. Participants: 25-30
Registration: through the congress registration site
Prerequisites: Basic familiarity with the Python syntax is recommended. Participants need to bring their own laptops with Python installed. Instructions will be sent in advance.

Rough Schedule (1 Day)
09:00-09:30   Coffee
09:30-10:45   Introduction into time series analysis and impulse response functions
10:45-11:00   Short Break
11:00-12:00   Workshop 1: Creating a simple time series model
12:00-13:00   Lunch
13:00-14:00   Model calibration and evaluation
14:00-14:15   Short break
14:15-15:15   Workshop 2: Modeling groundwater levels with multiple forcings
15:15-15:30   Short break
15:30-16:00   Model your own time series!
16:30-16:30   Showcase of Applications & Discussion
16:30-17:30   Drinks

  • Introduction to MODFLOW6 and MODFLOW-USG Model Development using a Conceptual Model Approach

This workshop will demonstrate the process of utilizing a conceptual model approach to develop MODFLOW6 and MODFLOW-USG models. The process of creating grids of various types (Quadtree, Voronoi, Nested, Refined, as well as Regular grids) to define model extents will be illustrated using the Groundwater Modeling System (GMS) model interface. A conceptual model approach will also be demonstrated which allows users to define key features impacting groundwater flow such as wells, no-flow boundaries, drains, rivers, etc as points, arcs and polygons independent of the grid. Attributes can then be assigned to these features. Background data such as LiDAR, rasters, borehole data, TINs, imagery, CAD, shapefiles and various others can be used within the same GUI to assist with developing these model inputs. The information in the conceptual model can then be transferred to the grid.

The process of defining other model input parameters will also be demonstrated, after which the model will be run and results will be loaded into the GUI and visualized using a variety of post-processing tools including contours, vectors, animations, 2D plots, and more. The conceptual model approach provides an intuitive, flexible workflow for developing models, making modifications, and analyzing different scenarios. These groundwater flow and transport models provide modelers with useful tools for making decisions related to groundwater resources.

Where and When : IAH Congress Brussels, Sunday 5th of September, 2021, all day
Costs: 100 euro, includes coffee and donuts/croissants. Please note lunch is not included and you will enjoy a 90 minute break to discover the local culinary treats in the city centre nearby
Max. Participants: 20
Registration: through the congress registration site