My research seeks to apply computer simulations to systematic study of the
hydrological environments both above and beneath the ground surface, including
interactions across the surface and subsurface phases. The tool I use is a
conjunctive stream-aquifer transport model that I developed. This conjunctive
model incorporates some widely used U.S. Geological Survey models as the basic
building blocks: MODFLOW handles groundwater flow, MOC3D computes groundwater
transport, and DAFLOW accounts for unsteady streamflow as well as stream-aquifer
exchange. For solute transport in streams, I created a finite-difference package
that can also handle the hyporheic exchange by incorporating features from
current development in modeling one-dimensional transient storage effect.
Because stream transport is usually the bottleneck in the entire conjunctive
simulation, state-of-the-art numerical techniques are employed to ensure high
accuracy, efficiency, and robustness. Altogether, this conjunctive model is able
to simulate solute transport in a riverine aquifer system with a complex stream
network, which involves dynamic exchange between the stream water and groundwater,
up to the regional scale.
In addition to model development, my research also includes applications of
optimization techniques such as optimal groundwater flow management and parameter
estimation for stream-aquifer interaction. Currently at UTSA, I am working with
Dr. Kyle Murray to expand my hydrological simulation study to include applications
of geographic information system (GIS).
