Flow Net Construction and Modeling

Ming-Kuo Lee

Auburn University Department of Geology

Summary

Visualize ground water movement by modeling two-dimensional steady-state ground-water flow. Students model various flow systems to learn about local and regional ground-water-flow systems and the effects of topography, bedrock composition, and permeability on subsurface flow.

Learning Goals

Learn how hydrogeologic concepts such as permeability heterogeneity and surface topography affect subsurface flow.
Obtain hands-on, practical experience in computer modeling.
Experience the ground-water investigation process from computational analysis to final interpretation.
Become better prepared for environmental employment.

Context for Use

This is the eighth of nine one-week exercises designed for a senior-level undergraduate lecture/lab hydrogeology course.

Teaching Materials

The computer software FLOWNET is required.

Assessment

The author is seeking feedback from companies that hire students that have gone through the course that this activity is from to see if this training provides a positive impact on job performance.

References and Resources

The activity is from the following article:

Lee, 1998, Hands-On Laboratory Exercises for an Undergraduate Hydrogeology Course. Journal of Geoscience Education v. 46, p. 433. Contact the author to request furthur details and copies of the laboratory exercises.

See the other eight related activities derived from this article:

Contact the Author

Please contact Ming-Kuo Lee at leeming@mail.auburn.edu with questions or suggestions.

Controlled Vocabulary Terms

Subject: Geoscience:Hydrology:Ground Water, Ground Water:Groundwater flow, Groundwater modeling
Special Interest: Quantitative
Quantitative Skills: Models and Modeling
Quantitative Skills Activity Type: Lab Activity
Topics: Hydrosphere/Cryosphere:Groundwater, Groundwater:Groundwater modeling, Groundwater flow

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