An Introduction to

MODFLOW

What is MODFLOW?

Widely used ground-water flow simulation program that runs on any

platform (Windows, Sun, Unix, Linux,).
Mostly written in standard FORTRAN (GMG is C++)
Solves the ground-water flow equation with different possible properties,
boundary conditions, and initial conditions
First version, 1983, McDonald and Harbaugh. Written to serve USGS
needs. Education emphasized.
MODFLOW escaped!
Public domain (Free)
Open source (Anyone can check and change the source code)
Changed versions are sometimes commercial its up to the developer
Well documented
Modularly constructed (More later)
Latest version: MODFLOW-2005 (Harbaugh, 2005)

What is MODFLOW?
Cited in statutes, legally tested
250,000 hits on Google for MODFLOW
Many other programs use results from or are based
on MODFLOW:

Public domain/open source

MT3DMS (multi-species solute or heat transport, some reactions,

dual porosity) (Chunmiao Zheng, U Alabama)

MODPATH (particle tracking) (Dave Pollock, USGS)
SEAWAT (density-dependent transport using MODFLOW and
MT3DMS) (Chris Langevin, USGS)
Phreeqc connections (PHT3D) (Henning Prommer)

Commercial
MODHMS-Surfact (Integrated sw/gw/unsat)
GUIs: Visual MODFLOW, Groundwater Vistas, GMS, PMWin,

What is MODFLOW?

Program organized into MODules

Activate the capabilities you need; no overhead
from other capabilities (execution time, RAM)
The structure is clear and documented for adding
additional capabilities such as new equations
Modularity in Processes and Packages

What is MODFLOW-2005?
Latest release of USGS MODFLOW
Internal computer storage redesigned to support

storage of multiple models necessary for local grid

refinement and facilitate linkages to other models
(GSFLOW = MODFLOW + PRMS).
Parameter-estimation, sensitivity analysis, uncertainty
now from UCODE_2005

Who is MODFLOW?

Collaborative open-source development with roots at the USGS

Some USGS developers

Arlen Harbaugh (MODFLOW, Reston, Virginia, USA)

Ned Banta (MODFLOW-2000, Lakewood, Colorado, USA)
Mary Hill (SA/PE/UA, MODFLOW-2000, UCODE, MMA, Boulder, Colorado, USA)
Steffen Mehl (local grid refinement (LGR), SA/PE/UA, now at CalSU-Chico, USA)
Stan Leake (compaction and subsidence, TMR, Tucson, Arizona, USA)
John Hoffman (compaction and subsidence, TMR, Tucson, Arizona, USA)
Dave Prudic (gw/sw interaction, STR, SFR, GSFLOW, Carson City, Nevada, USA)
Rick Niswonger (gw/sw interactions, SFR, GSFLOW, Carson City, Nevada. USA)
Paul Barlow (ground-water management, MODMAN, Reston, VA, USA)
Randy Hanson (FARM Process, MNW, San Diego, USA)
Alden Provost (HUF, Reston, VA)
Dave Pollock (particle tracking, MODPATH, Reston, Virginia, USA)
Chris Langevin (transport, saltwater intrusion, SEAWAT, Miami, Florida, USA)
Lennie Konikow (transport extended from MOC3D, GWT, Reston, Virginia, USA)
George Hornberger (transport extended from MOC3D, GWT, Reston, Virginia, USA)

Some non-USGS developers

Chunmiao Zheng (transport, MT3DMS, University of Alabama, USA)

Eileen Poeter (UCODE, MMA, Colorado School of Mines, IGWMC, Golden, CO, USA)
Evan Anderman (ADV, HUF, now at EvanAnderman.com, photography)
Henning Prommer (MODFLOW+PHREEQC, CSIRO, Perth, Australia)
Wolfgang Schmid (FARM Process, U. of Arizona, USA)
David Ahlfeld (ground-water management, GWM, U. of Massachusetts, USA)
You???

MODFLOW-2005 Processes
Processes each solve a fundamental equation. Of
importance in this class are

Ground-water Flow (GWF)

Observation (OBS)

Kh = S(h/t)
y = y + e

GWF Packages
Packages each represent a type of system
feature. Of importance in this class are

Package that defines model layers and properties:

Layer-Property Flow (LPF) Package

Packages used to add/remove water at a specified

rate:
Well (WEL)
Recharge (RCH)

Packages that add/remove water based on head in the

aquifer:
General-Head Boundary (GHB)
River (RIV)

How Processes and Packages Interact

GWF Process

OBS Process

LPF
Package

Define K and S
properties, possibly
using parameters.
Calculate contributions
to the matrix equations

No observations are
now defined for the
LPF Package.
Possible observations
are internal flows.

RIV
Package

Define ricer properties,

possibly using
parameters.
Calculate contributions
to the matrix equations.

River gain and loss

observations can be
defined.

In MODFLOW, subroutines are named using the three-letter

identifiers for processes and packages. For example,
GWF1LPF6RP

Back to the world of users instead of

programmers -What is required for a simulation?

Tell the program what capabilities to use

Name file (NAM)

Package input files for each process (only the

GWF Process is always required)

Basic (BAS6) (can define constant head BCs here)

Discretization (DIS)
Hydrogeologic info (here, LPF)

Solver. Here we use

Preconditioned Conjugate Gradient (PCG)

Activating capabilities

Turn Packages on and define input files using

the NAME file
Example:
# GW Flow process input files
bas6
41
tc1.bas
lpf
42
tc1.lpf
wel
43
tc1.wel
pcg
44
../data/tc1.pcg
.
.
.

Basics of Data Input

List data

Data input using lists

of cells
layer row column
Example:
1 3 43 .
2 62 53 .

Array data
Data input in arrays with

one row for each row of the

model grid and one column
for each column of the
model grid. Sometimes
repeat one array for each
model layer.
# # # # #
# # # # #
# # # # #
# # # # #
.
.
.

What is MODFLOW?

Input files
(plain text
or binary)

MODFLOW
is a
calculation
program

Output files
(plain text
or binary)

Often use MODFLOW through a

(Graphical) User Interface

Results

Maps
Model

MODFLOW
capabilities
used in
class

Class exercise

MODFLOW Packages used

Layer-Property Flow (LPF)
Recharge (RCH)
River (RIV)
General-Head Boundary (GHB)
Advective Transport (ADV)
Preconditioned-Conjugate Gradient

(PCG)
MODFLOW Processes used
Ground-Water Flow (GWF)
Observations (OBS)
UCODE_2005 capabilities used
Sensitivity
Parameter-Estimation

Aspects of flow model creation

Conceptual model
Base map
Grid design
Areal
Model layers (thickness can be variable)
Boundary conditions
Aquifer properties
Pumping wells
Recharge
Time

Here, describe selected aspects of

capabilities used in class

Head-dependent boundaries

From Hill+, 2000

Generally use
many cells to
define a feature.
Here, shaded
cells are used to
simulate flow to
compare to
measured flow
Q2-Q1.
Other cells
would be used
to define the rest
of the river.

Head-dependent boundaries
For each finite-difference cell n:

Qn = (KA/M)n (Hn hn)

A

Areal view
of typical cell n

Cross-section
of typical cell n

(KA/M)n = Cn =
conductance of
assumed distinct
streambed
Often define Cn with
parameters
Cn=FnP1
Additive:
Cn= Fn1P1 + Fn2P2

Cell center

Hn= water-body stage

hn= simulated head

Packages
that
represent
headdependent
boundaries

q=C(H-h)
Important
here:
GHB:

GeneralHead
Boundary
RIV: River

GHB

(A)
GHB

qn
Positive qn
indicates
flow into
the
subsurface

Slope = -Cn = -(KnAn)/Dn

EXPLANATION
qn

Kn
Dn

hn

qn = 0

An
Cn
hn

Negative qn
indicates
flow out of
the
subsurface

Hn

Hn
En

(B)
DRN

qn

hn
Slope = -Cn = -(KnAn)/Dn

qn = 0

the simulated flow rate at one cell (L3/T)

(negative for flow out of the ground-water
system)
the hydraulic conductivity (L/T) of, for
example, the riverbed or lakebed
the thickness (L) of, for example, the riverbed
or lakebed
the area of the water body within the finitedifference cell (L2)
the conductance calculated using Kn, Dn, and
An.
is the simulated hydraulic head in the groundwater system adjacent to the head-dependent
boundary (L); and
is the water level in the water body or the
(C)
elevation of the drain (L)
is the bottom of the streambed
qn

(C)
RIV

Positive qn
indicates
flow into
the
subsurface

Slope = -Cn = -(KnAn)/Dn

hn

qn = 0
Negative qn
indicates
flow out of
the
subsurface

Hn

Negative qn
indicates
flow out of
the
subsurface

RIV

En

Hn

RIV Package with hn below RBOTn (hn<RBOTn)

Cell center

Pumping wells

Well (WEL) Package

List input: layer, row , column, rate (negative means

flow out of the ground-water system)

Rate can be defined using parameters
Problem: If a well intersects many model layers, how
much water comes from each layer?

Flow model creation: Time

Steady state
Inputs = outputs. No change in storage
No time dimension: easier to visualize
Errors in model setup more clear in results
Transient
Requires (often steady-state) initial conditions
Requires a value for storage
Stresses are defined using stress periods (time interval of input)
Each stress period is divided into time steps (time interval of head calculation).
Lengthy calculation times can produce large output files
For some tips on when to go transient, see H.M.Haitjema (2006) Role of Hand
Calculations in Ground Water Flow Modeling, Ground Water.

Parameters
In the MODFLOW model for the class problem,

parameters are used to define the following model

inputs

Layer-Property Flow (LPF) Package

Horizontal hydraulic conductivity of model layers (HK)
Vertical hydraulic conductivity of an implicit confining unit

(VKCB)
Recharge (RCH) Package
Recharge rate (RCH)
River (RIV) Package
Riverbed conductance (RIV)

Values of defined parameters can be controlled using

the PVAL file. This makes it easy for users of
UCODE_2005, etc.

Parameters Model Input

River Package input file
PARAMETER
1
18
18
54 MXACTR IRIVCB
K_RB
RIV 1.200000E-03
18
1
1
1 100. 1000. 90.
. . .
1 18
1 100. 1000. 90.
0 1 ITMP NP -- Stress Period
1
K_RB

C of river bed
equals the
value in the
package input
file times the
factor in the
package input
file.
Here, the
factor is 1000.
C of river bed
= 1000
0.0012
The factor can
be different for
different cells.

Parameters and PVAL file

River Package input file
PARAMETER
1
18
18
54 MXACTR IRIVCB
K_RB
RIV 1.200000E-03
18
1
1
1 100. 1000. 90.
. . .
1 18
1 100. 1000. 90.
0 1 ITMP NP -- Stress Period
1
K_RB
6
HK_2PVAL
HK_1
VK_CB
K_RB
RCH_2
RCH_1

file1.523554700000E-5
4.619000000000E-4
9.903220000000E-8
.0011699900000000
38.39840000000000
47.55430000000000

C of river bed
equals the
value in PVAL
times the
factor in the
package input
file.
Here, the
factor is 1000.
C of river bed
= 1000
0.00116999
The factor can
be different for
different cells.

Easy to use UCODE_2005 to change parameter values in PVAL file.

Flow model creation: Observations

MODFLOWs Observation Process allows
simulated values to be compared to
observations.
Here, use it for the following observations

Head observations
At a cell
Changes in head over time

Flow observations
Over the reach of a feature represented by the RIV
Package

Observations

Heads (HOB in name file)

10
0
0 50 1.E+30 NH,MOBS,MAXM,IUHOBSV,HOBDRY
1.
TOMULTH
(below, lay,r,c,ts,roff,coff,toff,obs)
hd01.ss
1
3
1
1 0.0 0.0 0.0 101.80
hd02.ss
1
4
4
1 0.0 0.0 0.0 128.12
hd03.ss
1
10
9
1 0.0 0.0 0.0 156.68
. . .
hd10.ss
2
18
6
1 0.0 0.0 0.0 142.02

River Gain
(RVOB in
name file)

18
1
50
1.00000E+00
1
18
flow01.ss 1 0.0 -4.4
1 1 1
1.00
. . .
1 18 1
1.00

NQxx,NQCxx,NQTx
TOMULTxx
NQOBxx,NQCLxx
ts,toff,obs
lay,r,c,factor

"SIMULATED
EQUIVALENT"
VALUE" in name
"OBSERVATION
Output
file (data"OBSERVED
50 ex8._os
file) NAME"
100.209701538086
101.800003051758
hd01.ss
126.954444885254
128.119995117188
hd02.ss
. . .
-4.41627883911133
-4.40000009536743
flow01.ss

Constructing input files

In class we will either use 00-MFI2005.exe or

the files will be constructed already.
Instructions for using 00_MFI2005.bat are
provided in class.

Execute MODFLOW

Here, we will use 00-MFI2005.exe or already

constructed batch files.

Detailed instructions are provided in the exercise

instructions.

Basically, need to provide the name file

filename on the same line (this is often done
in a batch file)
MODFLOW test.nam

Model results

Possible results for class problem (depends on

options chosen)

Global budget (check for overall solution accuracy)

Heads at each active cell in the grid at each time step
Flows at each cell face
Simulated equivalents to observations

Often use software to visualize results. In class,

use ModelViewer

Pathline Modeling

Advective transport. Used here as a first

investigation of transport predictions
Requires:

Flow solution
Porosity to determine velocity
Starting locations

The particle tracking is calculated using

MODPATH, which uses results produced by
MODFLOW.