ABSTRACT
Groundwater modeling is concerned with the simulation of the dynamic behavior of aquifer systems. Models integrate fragmented knowledge of the aquifer system's component parts and represent the entire system with facility features such as production wells and waste disposal source areas. An acceptable level of model confidence should also be defined. Model validation, calibration, and precision questions should be addressed and resolved at the beginning of the project. A model is said to be validated when there is a favorable comparison between model results and exact analytical model equation calculations. Model calibration involves a considerable degree of subjective judgement and is essentially a trial and error procedure. Analytical and numerical models simulating space- and time-dependent fluid flow, contaminant migration, heat transport, and deformation processes are structured to solve a partial differential equation, or a system of several partial differential equations, together with initial and boundary conditions.
