MODFLOW: MODFLOW is one of the most widely used groundwater modeling software packages. It is highly flexible and can be used for a wide range of groundwater studies. It has various user interfaces and add-ons, such as Visual MODFLOW, which makes it more accessible and user-friendly for beginners.
GMS (Groundwater Modeling System): GMS is a popular groundwater modeling software that provides a user-friendly interface for building and visualizing complex groundwater models. It supports MODFLOW and many other numerical models.
FEFLOW: FEFLOW is a finite element-based groundwater modeling software that is known for its advanced capabilities in simulating complex hydrogeological conditions. It offers a graphical interface and comprehensive features for groundwater modeling.
For a groundwater study, each analysis has its specific objective. For instance, modeling is carried out using software like Modflow, Feflow, or WEAPmodflow. Hydrogeological results are processed using tools like Surfer and ArcGIS to generate piezometric, permeability, transmissivity maps, and more. Additionally, hydrodynamic parameters can be calculated using Excel. As for hydrochemical analysis, diagrams and statistics are generated using software like Diagramme software and XLSTAT. It's crucial to choose the appropriate tools based on the specific needs of each groundwater study.
There are three main components in any groundwater study:
1. Database management which includes data collection, analysis and interpretation (i.e. data QA/QC)
2. Hydrogeological understanding of the area (i.e. Conceptual Site Model)
3. Numerical model
Each of the component need specific software. We should not jump into a numerical model without going through the first two components. Selection of a modeling code is itself a challenge after defending the conceptual model (s).