PREDICTIVE APPLICATION OF AN ORNL GEOHYDROLOGY MODEL

The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the predictive capability of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory finite-element computer model of water flow through aquifers, FEWA. The computer code for FEWA was written by G. T. Yeh and D. D. Huff. The area investigated was the Hialeah-Preston wells in Miami, Florida over the Biscayne aquifer. The field data of May 3, 1977, for the area were used for calibration of the model. The model was then integrated over time until October 4, 1977, using the data on rainfall, infiltration, and pumpage of wells during that period. The predicted potentiometric head for the area compared well with the field data. It may be concluded that substantial confidence in the predictive capability of the model has been established for the site in Florida.