FEFLOW – Getting started with model calibration and uncertainty quantification using FePEST

INVESTMENT

Fee: No charge*

Time commitment - approximately three hours made up of:

• Self-study: Modules 1-9 (Includes online video lectures and exercises)

PRODUCT

FEFLOW

Groundwater hydrologists or hydrogeologists are often asked questions about groundwater flow, aquifer hydraulics, management of water resources, fate of contamination plumes or feasibility of geothermal systems, plus others.

Providing answers to these questions requires specific field information and a general understanding of hydrogeological processes. Nature is not simple, yet even simple tasks require state-of-the-art supporting tools. Groundwater models provide a quantitative framework for synthesising field information and for conceptualising hydrogeologic processes. Models are used as a tool to assist consultants and engineers in getting possible answers to a specific groundwater problem.

In this course, we will provide you an introduction to calibration and uncertainty quantification for groundwater models. Using the FePEST, graphical interface of PEST and PEST++, the course will demonstrate the workflow for model calibration and uncertainty quantification. The working example consists on a post-mining model, where the modelling objective is to estimate the rise of water level within the pit lake after ten years.

The course will walk you through the different steps required to prepare your FEFLOW model for the optimization and to set-up a FePEST project.

About FEFLOW

FEFLOW is widely recognised as a comprehensive software package for subsurface flow and transport simulation. FEFLOW’s unique meshing capabilities (structured and unstructured) allow for the highest degree of flexibility to account in detail for the most simple to complex geometrical configurations. The software is used by leading research institutes, universities, consulting firms and government organisations all over the world. FEFLOW’s scope of application ranges from simple local scale to complex large-scale modelling. Application areas include water management, mine water, saltwater intrusion, geothermal energy and variably saturated media.

IS THIS COURSE RIGHT FOR ME?

This course is right for you if:

• You are a consultant, engineer, hydrogeologist or geologist 
• You have a basic understanding of hydrogeological concepts
• You have a certain understanding of the modelling workflows in FEFLOW

WHAT ARE MY EXPECTED OUTCOMES?

Upon completion of the course you will be able to:

• Prepare existing FEFLOW models for a calibration and uncertainty run in FePEST
• Create your first FePEST project
• Understand the concept behinds Observation and Parameter Definitions in FePEST
• Parallelize the FePEST run and monitor the progress
• Understand basic settings required for PESTPP-IES (Iterative Ensemble Smoother)
• Interpret FePEST's (PEST) results

HOW WILL I LEARN?

Each module includes videos and materials that you need for model examples. It will take you around three hours to complete the course at a time that fits your needs and requirements – and from the comfort of your own office, home or any location convenient for you.

MODULE DETAILS

Introduction
Preliminary steps: Download the software and an introductory video

Module 1 | Introduction to PEST and FePEST
Topics: What's PEST? What's is FePEST?

Module 2 | Preliminary Steps in FEFLOW
Topics: Conceptual model, FEFLOW settings amd preliminary work in FEFLOW

Module 3 | Get Started with FePEST
Topics: PEST Utilities, Creating the FePEST project

Module 4 | Optimization Control
Topics: FePEST operation modes

Module 5 | FePEST Parameter Definitions
Topics: Parameter Definition, Tied Parameters

Module 6 | FePEST Observation Definitions
Topics: New Observation Definition

Module 7 | Iterative Ensemble Smoother
Topics: Introduction to the Bayes' Theorem, PESTPP-IES

Module 8 | Parallelization
Topics: Parallelization with FePEST, MIKE Cloud Execution

Module 9 | Results Evaluation
Topics: Results of a PESTPP-IES optimization

Final remarks

INSTRUCTOR

DR. CARLOS RIVERA VILLARREYES, DHI GERMANY  
Dipl.-Ing. (FH), Civil Engineering, University of Piura, Peru; MSc, Desert Studies - Water Resources Management, Ben-Gurion University, Israel; PhD, Hydrology, University of Potsdam, Germany

Dr Carlos Rivera Villarreyes works as a Global Product Specialist and Product Manager / Owner for FEFLOW. Dr Rivera has profound knowledge of groundwater and unsaturated-zone modelling as well as parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis (e.g., with PEST), all these in the context of mining, geothermal modelling, water quality and nuclear waste decommissioning applications among others. He has carried out several groundwater modelling projects and trained professionals in groundwater modelling around the globe. Dr Carlos is an authorised DHI trainer.

REQUIREMENTS

• Reliable internet connection 
• An installation of the DHI License Management and FEFLOW software 
• If you are not familiar with the basic terminology of Hydrogeology, e.g., definitions of aquifer properties (confined/unconfined systems, transmissivity, conductivity, etc.) and principles of groundwater flow (e.g., Darcy Law), it is strongly recommended to do a pre-reading of standard textbooks of Hydrogeology.
• Basic understanding of FEFLOW workflows.

LANGUAGE
Lectures and training material are in English. 

RESOURCES

• Highlights of FEFLOW here
• "Getting started with groundwater modelling course" here
  
• THE ACADEMY webinars
• THE ACADEMY self-paced online courses

INFORMATION AND CONTACT

Carlos Andres Rivera Villarreyes - cvi@dhigroup.com

academy@dhigroup.com

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