International Association of Hydrogeologists Australia

Groundwater Modelling: Two Case Studies

IAH South Australia is pleased to host three excellent presenters at the SA Water Learning Centre, with drinks at the nearby Treasury Hotel sponsored by EMM from 5 pm.

Talk 1: 4:05-4:30 plus questions:

Snowy 2.0: Assessment of pumped hydro-electric power in a high-profile alpine groundwater environment

Snowy 2.0 is a 2,000 megawatt pumped hydroelectricity scheme with a power station almost 1 km underground. The project is located in Kosciuszko National Park, and groundwater investigations included drilling, downhole and surface-based geophysical surveys, slug and pumping tests, groundwater and surface water sampling, stream flow gauging and isotopic analysis were used to identify water sources and pathways.

Numerical groundwater and surface water modelling supported assessment of impacts. The groundwater model employed an unstructured grid to provide detail around surface water bodies and complex subsurface interconnectivity.

Biography:

Doug Weatherill has specialist skills in numerical groundwater modelling and leads EMM’s groundwater modelling team. Doug has developed and applied models to inform design and predict impacts of varied mining, infrastructure and water management projects.

Talk 2: 4:35-5:00 plus questions: 

Groundwater model of the South Australian Great Artesian Basin: Bigger than Texas

The South Australian portion of the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) supports ecologically important springs, and also the mining, petroleum, pastoral and tourism industries. To help manage demands on the aquifers, the Department for Environment and Water, with support from South Australian Arid Lands Landscape Board, the Department for Energy and Mining and relevant stakeholders has developed a groundwater flow model of the Far North Prescribed Wells Area. It is based on recent studies of the SA GAB and will evaluate cumulative impacts of water use on potentiometric head and spring flows. There are many challenges to simulating this region, from data limitations to software bugs to the sheer scale. Nevertheless, a provisional model has been developed; its capabilities, limitations and future will be discussed.

Biographies :

Juliette Woods has worked in hydrogeology for more than 25 years, as a researcher, consultant, and government advisor. She is currently the Principal Groundwater Modeller for the SA Department for Environment and Water.

Kwadwo Osei-Bonsu, hydrogeologist and groundwater modeler, has over 20 years of experience working in both the private sector and government. He is currently hydrogeologist/groundwater modeller with the SA Department for Environment and Water.

Register via Eventbrite and select ‘Online Attendance’ if attending via Teams. Link is provided with registration.

 

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