GW Vistas

Criterion

Explanation

General Description

Groundwater Vistas (GV) includes the pre-and post-processor for MODFLOW, MTD3D and MODPATH. It facilitates the use of complex three-dimensional ground-water models through a flexible user interface allowing users to create data sets for specific models. GV also comes with all versions of MODFLOW, as well as Microsoft Windows interfaces for MT3D and MODPATH.

Model Domain

Defined by the model output being used for GV model construction. If the user defines real-world coordinates in GV, then the GV map display will reference those coordinates. Otherwise, GV assumes that the coordinate systems for the map and model are the same.

Developer

Environmental Simulations Incorporated (ESI)

Hardware computing requirements

Used in Microsoft Windows environments

Code language

Not discernable from available literature

Original application

To facilitate the use of MODFLOW

Public/proprietary and cost

Proprietary; add-on items at extra cost

Physically or empirically based

Physically based (from MODFLOW, MODPATH and MTD3D)

Mathematical methods used

Modelers can interactively design finite difference ground-water flow and contaminant transport models. The physical layout of the grid or mesh, the specification of boundary conditions, and the definition of hydraulic properties are all common features between MODFLOW, MT3D and MODPATH models.
GV also supports nested and quadtree grids for the MODFLOW-Unstructured Grid model.
Note that consistent units must be used, as unit conversions are not performed in GV.
Several types of mass balance analysis techniques are provided for the entire GV model, a single layer, or for a subregion of the model

Input data requirements

GV input file – maintains all finite-difference data in a model-independent format. This cannot be edited outside of the program. The grid is created by specifying the number of rows, columns, and layers, as well as initial row and column widths or spacings.
Diagonalized zip file – used as an overlay for the finite-difference grid during design work. Optional but very useful for site-specific problems.
GV creates input files required for models supported by GV. GV also interprets or plots output files from these models.
To add a MODFLOW package to a simulation, the user provides a unit number (from FORTRAN language convention).

Outputs

Produces binary and text output files. Cell-by-cell flows and mass balance data for each grid cell are written to separate output files based on cell flow unit number entered by the user.
Different packages within GV can produce their own text and binary input.
Plots that can be created with GV include: • Head, drawdown, concentration, flux contours • Head, drawdown, concentration, flux color floods • Velocity vectors • Pathline and travel times from MODPATH/PATH3D • Local mass balance bar charts • Plot head, drawdown, concentration versus time • Parameter sensitivity plots • Head, drawdown, concentration, flux profiles along a cross-section • Calibration target scatter plots • Calibration target hydrographs • Calibration statistics for head, concentration, flux
Mass balance information can be analyzed using the digitize option in GV. The user digitizes a polygon with the mouse, and DV provides a mass balance summary for this irregular polygon.
GV has a convenient viewer for binary file output from MODFLOW (all versions) and MT3D, which displays all time steps, stress periods, transport time steps (if appropriate), and the title of the variables stored in the file.

Pre-processing and post-processing tools

N/A

Representation of uncertainty

For mass balance: the sum of (amount of water entering or leaving the model) and (any change in storage within the model) should yield zero, but there is always some error. GV calculates this error for the whole model, for a single layer, or for a window, when the user imports all components of the cell-by-cell flow terms computed by MODFLOW.
GV offers a comprehensive suite of calibration tools. It performs the calculations that match the model results to target locations and calculates residuals.

Prevalence

Utilized not only within peer-reviewed research, but also for groundwater modelling and management projects

Ease of use for public entities

There are no significant barriers. The software must be purchased.

Ease of obtaining information and availability of technical support

Technical support (version 7) is free of charge. Version 6 support includes answering questions, but not fixing bugs. Email support@groundwatermodels.com
Tutorials are included in gv7tutorialmanual.pdf
See the Groundwater Vistas Troubleshooting Guide for further help

Source code availability

Not available

Status of model development

Ready for use. Updates are published relatively frequently and are available for download at www.groundwatermodels.com

Challenges for integration

Challenges are related to the groundwater models as described in the model descriptions.