Riverine floodplain groundwater flow modelling : the case of Shelford (UK)

Abstract

This report describes a groundwater flow modelling study in the Shelford area, which is located on the riverine floodplain of the Trent Valley. The work was undertaken as part of the BGS Sustainable Soils research programme. The purpose of this study was to establish a regional groundwater flow model using a ZOOM family of groundwater models for a shallow superficial aquifer lying on the impermeable Triassic bedrocks of the Trent Valley, in order to help understand the groundwater flow processes in riverine floodplains which are prone to groundwater flooding. This was achieved by setting up a single layer groundwater flow model adopting ZOOMQ3D, and a distributed groundwater recharge model using ZOODRM. The time span of these two models was from 1/1/1970 to 31/12/2007. The groundwater model has three ZOOM grid levels, i.e., grid 1 (250 m × 250 m), grid 2 (50 m × 50 m), and grid 3 (25 m × 25 m). The elevation data of the base of the ZOOM grid was from GSI3D model. Particle tracking was carried out using ZOOPT. This comprehensive groundwater flow modelling study can be a starting point for (i) understanding the groundwater processes in the study area; (ii) providing a platform for studying contaminant transport in the groundwater regime; and (iii) helping calculate the groundwater flood hazard