Adelaide Plains Groundwater Model 2015: Assessment of Adelaide Plains Groundwater Resources

Full description

Model produced as a result of GOYDER INSTITUTE FOR WATER RESEARCH Project No. I.1.6. This numerical model simulates groundwater flow in steady-state (long-term historical state under pre-development conditions – no pumping) and in different transient conditions: 1900-1950 under pre-development conditions (no pumping); 1950-2013 under development conditions (pumping); 2013-2100 under different predictive scenarios (increase/decrease of pumping, climate change, increase of MAR). The model also simulates chloride and carbon-14 transport, both in steady-state (long-term historical state under pre-development conditions – no pumping).

The data upon which the model depends are stored together with the model, which can therefore be run “as is”. The data can potentially be updated (using updated versions of the sources described above, for example) but the model would need to be updated accordingly. Updating the model with new data is relatively easy using the Matlab scripts as long as the data keep the same structure. Note that anything affecting the historical simulations implies that the model would have to be recalibrated.

Data Sources and Modelling Software
Modelling Software:
- This is a MODFLOW-based model. MODFLOW and related programs are freely available for download from http://water.usgs.gov/ogw/modflow/.
- Pre- and post-processing was done in Matlab (commercial product; see http://au.mathworks.com/) using the mfLab toolbox (freely available for download from https://code.google.com/p/mflab/).
- Some data pre-processing was also done in Python (freely available for download from https://www.python.org/) using the ArcPy package that comes with ArcGIS (commercial product; see http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis).
- Calibration and uncertainty analysis was done with PEST (freely available for download from http://www.pesthomepage.org/).
Data Sources:
- Surface water features, groundwater levels and chloride data were sourced from the WaterConnect database managed by DEWNR (https://www.waterconnect.sa.gov.au/). This data can be downloaded at no cost and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence.
- Hydrogeologic units extent and elevation were sourced from DEWNR (personal communication, no licence; contact at DEWNR: Steve Barnett).
- 14C data was sourced from the literature and appended by new data acquired during the project (no licence).
- Historical pumping and managed aquifer recharge (MAR) data were sourced from the previous modelling effort of the same area by RPS Aquaterra (Georgiou J, Stadter M, Purczel C (2011) 'Adelaide Plains groundwater flow and solute transport model'). The previous model is owned by DEWNR (contact at DEWNR: Juliette Woods).
- Rainfall data was sourced from the SILO database (https://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo/) supplied under licence to Flinders University with a right to distribute digital products based on or containing the data, as this model.
- Rainfall projection data sourced from Enviro Data SA (https://data.environment.sa.gov.au/Climate/SA-Climate-Ready/). This data can be downloaded at no cost and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
- Future MAR scheme data were provided by DEWNR (personal communication, no licence; contact at DEWNR: Graham Green).


Location: The Adelaide Plains, extending from the major faults at the foothill of the Mount Lofty Ranges in the south and east (Eden-Burnside and Para faults), up to 5 km offshore in the west, and bounded by the Light River in the north. In the vertical direction, the model extends from the land surface down to the bedrock included (model bottom fixed at -700 mAHD).