What would it be like to have an online tool with which current groundwater levels can be queried quickly and easily?
This is exactly what is being developed in the LURCH joint project GW_4.0, which enables the merging of soil and groundwater balance models with real-time data assimilation! In the soil water balance model, meteorological data is regionalized in order to calculate seepage water formation. In addition, physiographic data such as altitude, slope inclination and land use are taken into account.
Coupled yield models can be used to estimate the irrigation requirements for crops. The model is being continuously developed, especially for agricultural areas.
The groundwater balance model includes the Neckar Valley model and the development of a karst aquifer model for the Upper Gäu. Here, groundwater levels are calculated for various scenarios and projections.
During data assimilation, the model is adapted to real-time measurement data in order to continuously correct the simulated groundwater levels and model parameters (e.g. permeability) at the desired intervals.
The GW_4.0 project also enables the realization of specific user requests and offers various environmental projections as well as management scenarios for individual model realizations. An online tool will be used to query current groundwater levels and long-term forecasts and to interactively generate short-term forecasts.
Neckar Valley groundwater model ; Source: GW_4.0
