HGS HIGHLIGHT – Estimating cumulative wastewater treatment plant discharge influences on acesulfame and Escherichia coli in a highly impacted watershed with a fully-integrated modelling approach
In this research highlight, researchers used HydroGeoSphere (HGS) to explore the impact of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharge on surface water contamination in a mixed-use watershed in Ontario, Canada. The study focused on tracking acesulfame, a commonly used artificial sweetener, and Escherichia coli (E. coli), a fecal indicator, to understand how these contaminants move between surface and groundwater systems. Understanding the interactions between surface water and groundwater is critical in watersheds where WWTP discharge contributes to regional water quality concerns.
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Assessing the impact of surface water and groundwater interactions for regional-scale simulations of water table elevation
In this research highlight, researchers Hugo Delottier, Oliver S. Schilling, and René Therrien, conducted an in-depth exploration of how the interaction between surface water (SW) and groundwater (GW) affects the accuracy of regional-scale simulations of water table elevations in Southern Quebec. This investigation was conducted over a vast 36,900 km² regional aquifer system, which is marked by a complex hydrogeological setup. The area of study includes a regional bedrock aquifer that is overlain by discontinuous Quaternary sediments, presenting a challenging environment for accurate hydrological modelling.
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – A black-box automated approach to calibrate numerical simulations and optimize cover design: Application to a flow control layer constructed on an experimental waste rock pile
In this study, researchers developed and tested a novel black-box automated approach to calibrate numerical simulations and optimize cover designs for waste rock piles at mining sites. This work was undertaken by a team of scientists focusing on improving waste rock pile stability and minimizing environmental contamination.
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Groundwater recharge from overbank floods
This study, published by researchers using a fully coupled surface-subsurface flow model, explores the process of overbank flood recharge, which is important for estimating aquifer sustainable yield.
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Impact of Baseflow on Fish Community in the Ungcheon Stream, Korea
In this research highlight, researchers have explored how baseflow influences fish habitats in the Ungcheon stream, located downstream of the Boryeong Dam in Korea.
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Simulating the recession dynamics of Arctic catchments in the context of a thawing permafrost
In a recent study, researchers have made significant strides in understanding how climate warming is altering the Arctic's hydrological dynamics. The study delves into the complex relationship between permafrost thaw and groundwater flow. Traditionally, Arctic hydrology has been conceptualized as a local system, confined by the frozen ground. However, as the climate warms, permafrost begins to thaw, transitioning this system into a more interconnected network of regional aquifers. This transformation is crucial, as it alters the fundamental dynamics of water movement and storage in the Arctic.
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Understanding the vulnerability of surface–groundwater interactions to climate change: insights from a Bavarian Forest headwater catchment
This study used HydroGeoSphere to evaluate the impact of climate change on streamflow and water availability within a small forested catchment in South-East Germany. Climate forecasts in the region predict a significant decrease in precipitation over the coming decades. Based on integrated hydrologic modelling of the catchment, this forecasted decline in precipitation combined with a relatively steady rate of evapotranspiration (compared to the historical period) will result in prolonged drought conditions, which in turn will result in declining groundwater levels, decreased baseflow to the upstream reaches of the stream network.
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT - Mega-Tidal and Surface Flooding Controls on Coastal Groundwater and Saltwater Intrusion Within Agricultural Dikelands
The study highlighted here makes full use of the density dependent flow modelling capabilities of HydroGeoSphere to investigate the impacts of climate change on groundwater-ocean interactions, and how sea-level rise, tides and storm-surges impact the long-term position of an upper saline plume in a coastal agricultural dikeland in Nova Scotia, Canada.
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Groundwater flow reversal between small water bodies and their adjoining aquifers: A numerical experiment
This recent study uses HydroGeoSphere to investigate groundwater-surface water interactions within “kettle holes” - post glacial landscape features prevalent across Northern Europe and Northern America. These kettle holes are quite similar to lakes, but their smaller size makes them prone to drying out, which results in very dynamic and variable groundwater-surface water interactions, sometimes being subject to groundwater flow reversal between a kettle hole and the adjacent aquifer.