Presentation by Joost Icke (Deltares) at the iMOD International User Day 2018, during Delft Software Days - Edition 2018. Tuesday 13 November 2018, Delft.

1. T h e i M O D - X p r o j e c t
The iMOD-X project
Joost Icke

2. TheiMOD-Xproject
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Groundwater
• Drinking water
• Agriculture
• Industry
• Water storage
• Thermal storage
• Environmental flows

3. TheiMOD-Xproject
Challenges
• Location of wells
• Water distribution
• Pollution
• Salt intrusion
• Land subsidence
• Inundation … flooding
• Heat capacity
• Recharge capacity
• Engineering
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Modelling
• Levels
• Flow
• Substances
• Subsidence

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Strengths of iMOD
• User Interface
• MODFLOW kernel
• Interactive modelling
• Visualisation
• Large, high resolution models
• Scaling
• Subdomains
• Easy to use
• Good performance
• Open source

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Community
• The Netherlands (consortia)
• International
• ~1.950 members
• https://oss.deltares.nl/web/imod

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New kernel: MODFLOW 6
• Developed by USGS
• Unstructured grids
• Jarno Verkaik: research, parallel version

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MODFLOW 2005 MODFLOW 6
Structured grid Structured and unstructured grid
Quasi-3D Fully 3D
Number-driven input Key-word driven input
Single precision data storage Double precision data storage
Single precision output Double precision output
Procedural programming Object-oriented programming
MODFLOW-88 style Started from scratch
Comparison of MODFLOW 2005 and MODFLOW 6
• MODFLOW-6 requires much more computational resources (CPU, RAM)
• Programming with MODFLOW-6 is a lot harder
• We cannot easily replace our current iMODFLOW by MODFLOW-6

9. Added value of MODFLOW 6
• New model setup. It’s a platform for supporting multiple models within the same simulation (object oriented)
• Unstructured grid:
• Geotechnical applications on a local scale
• Exact position of the filter of drinking water extractions
• Regional detail (nature conservation areas, drinking water production areas, rivers)
• Modelling delta areas and the upstream catchment in one model (The Netherlands, Mekong delta)
• Model the top layers in greater detail than the deeper layers, use detailed Geotop data
• Model complex geological formations (Anisotropy using XT3D package)
• Work with the official USGS kernel. Some clients want to use the latest software
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First applications with unstructured grids
river locations
computed by WFlow
groundwater
abstraction well

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Workflow with new kernel

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The iMOD-X project
• Develop a new iMOD version
• Pilot projects
• Requirements
• Software architecture
• Respond to market demand
• Software development
• Cooperation with USGS and user
groups

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Pilot projects
• 3D schematisation of subsoil
• Salt and water quality
• Run models with scripts
• Coupling with current iMOD
• Land subsidence
• Example projects

14. Pilot project on schematisations
Selected benefits of the MODFLOW 6 kernel:
Elegant option to pinch out of model layers (aquifers):
• No need for hypothetical interfaces – vertical flow over pinched-out layer are solved internally
• No complex translation of 3-D subsurface geology to model layers
Elegant incorporation of sub models for (multiply):
• Refinements in XY-planes
• Refinement along the vertical
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15. Sub modelling in the XY-plane
1) Local
Sub Model
2) Global Model
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16. Sub modelling in the XY-plane
FUNCTION=RUNFILE
!## MASTER PROJECTFILE
PRJFILE_IN=.mf6_fine.prj
!## EXPORT TO MF6
NAMFILE_OUT=.mf6_finemf6_fine.NAM
MF_TYPE=2
!## NUMBER OF SUBMODELS
NSUBMODEL=2
WINDOW1=0.0,0.0,1000.0,1100.0
CELLSIZE1=100.0
WINDOW2=300.0,300.0,700.0,800.0
CELLSIZE2=50.0
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17. Sub modelling in the Z-direction
FUNCTION=RUNFILE
!## MASTER PROJECTFILE
PRJFILE_IN=.mf6_fine.prj
!## EXPORT TO MF6
NAMFILE_OUT=.mf6_finemf6_fine.NAM
MF_TYPE=2
!## NUMBER OF SUBMODELS
NSUBMODEL=2
WINDOW1=0.0,0.0,1000.0,1100.0
CELLSIZE1=100.0
ILAY1=1
WINDOW2=0.0,0.0,1000.0,1100.0
CELLSIZE2=50.0
ILAY2=1
1) Sub Model for
model layer 1
2) Sub Model for
model layer 2
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18. Salt and Water Quality
• Structured and unstructured grid
• With and without density effects
• Observations:
• Code is still in development
• Single species, transport, no processes
• Documentation is work in progress
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Unstructured grid
Upper part
Lower part

20. Structured grid, no density effects
20Initial condition
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21Snapshot of movie

22. Regular grid, with density effects
22Initial condition
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23Snapshot of movie

24. Scripting: from data to model to visualisation
• New scripts in Julia
• Performance similar to Fortran
• Easy high level API
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Global Modelling using MF6 (an example)

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Comparison with MODFLOW 2000
Global Modelling: Difference within the heads

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Land subsidence
• USGS develops a SUB-module for
MODFLOW 6
• Same concepts as MODFLOW 2005
• No creep, no peat oxidation
• Creep:
• Deltares has developed the SUB-
CR module for MODFLOW 2005
• Consider coupling SUB-CR to
MODFLOW 6
• Peat oxidation:
• Process in the unsaturated zone

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Software team
• Working on a common vision and
software development methods

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Plans
• Continue with pilots
• Product vision and architecture
• Involve relevant national and
international stakeholders

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T h e i M O D - X p r o j e c t
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Thank you for your attention
joost.icke@deltares.nl
@joosticke
nl.linkedin.com/in/joosticke