Model:MODFLOW 6

MODFLOW 6

Metadata

Also known as	MODFLOW
Model type	Modular
Model part of larger framework
Note on status model
Date note status model

Incorporated models or components:

Spatial dimensions	3D
Spatial extent	Global, Continental, Regional-Scale, Landscape-Scale, Watershed-Scale, Reach-Scale, Patch-Scale
Model domain	Terrestrial, Hydrology, Coastal
One-line model description	MODFLOW 6 is an object-oriented program and framework developed to provide a platform for supporting multiple models and multiple types of models within the same simulation
Extended model description	MODFLOW 6 is an object-oriented program and framework developed to provide a platform for supporting multiple models and multiple types of models within the same simulation. This version of MODFLOW is labeled with a "6" because it is the sixth core version of MODFLOW to be released by the USGS (previous core versions were released in 1984, 1988, 1996, 2000, and 2005). In the new design, any number of models can be included in a simulation. These models can be independent of one another with no interaction, they can exchange information with one another, or they can be tightly coupled at the matrix level by adding them to the same numerical solution. Transfer of information between models is isolated to exchange objects, which allow models to be developed and used independently of one another. Within this new framework, a regional-scale groundwater model may be coupled with multiple local-scale groundwater models. Or, a surface-water flow model could be coupled to multiple groundwater flow models. The framework naturally allows for future extensions to include the simulation of solute transport.

Keywords:	groundwater, transport, Water quantity, water quality, lakes, Shallow-water model, soil moisture, compaction, ,

Name	Joseph Hughes
Type of contact	Model developer
Institute / Organization	U.S. Geological Survey
Postal address 1	12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Postal address 2
Town / City	Reston
Postal code	20192
State	Virginia
Country	United States
Email address	modflow@usgs.gov
Phone
Fax

Name	Christian Langevin
Type of contact	Model developer
Institute / Organization	U.S. Geological Survey
Postal address 1	2280 Woodale Drive
Postal address 2
Town / City	Mounds View
Postal code	55112
State	Minnesota
Country	United States
Email address	modflow@usgs.gov
Phone
Fax

Supported platforms	Unix, Linux, Mac OS, Windows
Other platform
Programming language	Fortran90
Other program language
Code optimized	Single Processor, Multiple Processors
Multiple processors implemented	Distributed memory
Nr of distributed processors
Nr of shared processors
Start year development	1979
Does model development still take place?	No
If above answer is no, provide end year model development
Code development status	Active
When did you indicate the 'code development status'?	2023
Model availability	As code, As teaching tool
Source code availability (Or provide future intension)	Through web repository
Source web address	https://www.usgs.gov/software/modflow-6-usgs-modular-hydrologic-model
Source csdms web address
Program license type	Other
Program license type other	CC0 1.0
Memory requirements
Typical run time

Describe input parameters	see MODFLOW 6 Description of Input/Output at https://water.usgs.gov/water-resources/software/MODFLOW-6
Input format	ASCII, Binary
Other input format
Describe output parameters	see MODFLOW 6 Description of Input/Output at https://water.usgs.gov/water-resources/software/MODFLOW-6
Output format	ASCII, Binary
Other output format
Pre-processing software needed?	No
Describe pre-processing software
Post-processing software needed?	No
Describe post-processing software
Visualization software needed?	No
If above answer is yes
Other visualization software

Describe processes represented by the model	MODFLOW 6 presently contains two types of hydrologic models, the Groundwater Flow (GWF) Model and the Groundwater Transport (GWT) Model. The GWF Model for MODFLOW 6 is based on a generalized control-volume finite-difference (CVFD) approach in which a cell can be hydraulically connected to any number of surrounding cells. Users can define the model grid using 1. a regular MODFLOW grid consisting of layers, rows, and columns, 2. a layered grid defined by (x, y) vertex pairs, or 3. a general unstructured grid based on concepts developed for MODFLOW-USG. For complex problems involving water-table conditions, an optional Newton-Raphson formulation, based on the formulations in MODFLOW-NWT and MODFLOW-USG, can be activated. The GWF Model is divided into "packages," as was done in previous MODFLOW versions. A package is the part of the model that deals with a single aspect of simulation. Packages included with the GWF Model include - those related to internal calculations of groundwater flow (discretization, initial conditions, hydraulic conductance, and storage), - stress packages (constant heads, wells, recharge, rivers, general head boundaries, drains, and evapotranspiration), and - advanced stress packages (streamflow routing, lakes, multi-aquifer wells, and unsaturated zone flow). An additional package is also available for moving water available in one package into the individual features of the advanced stress packages. The GWF Model also has packages for obtaining and controlling output from the model. The GWT model for MODFLOW 6 simulates three-dimensional transport of a single solute species in flowing groundwater. The GWT Model solves the solute transport equation using numerical methods and a generalized CVFD approach, which can be used with regular MODFLOW grids or with unstructured grids. The GWT Model is designed to work with most of the new capabilities released with the GWF Model, including the Newton flow formulation, unstructured grids, advanced packages, and the movement of water between packages. The GWF and GWT Models operate simultaneously during a MODFLOW 6 simulation to represent coupled groundwater flow and solute transport. The GWT Model can also run separately from a GWF Model by reading the heads and flows saved by a previously run GWF Model. The GWT model is also capable of working with the flows from another groundwater flow model, as long as the flows from that model can be written in the correct form to flow and head files.
Describe key physical parameters and equations
Describe length scale and resolution constraints
Describe time scale and resolution constraints
Describe any numerical limitations and issues

Describe available calibration data sets
Upload calibration data sets if available:
Describe available test data sets	Test data sets are provided as part of releases available at https://www.usgs.gov/software/modflow-6-usgs-modular-hydrologic-model to verify that MODFLOW 6 is correctly installed and running on the system. Test data sets are also available from https://github.com/MODFLOW-USGS/modflow6-examples (and viewable online at https://modflow6.readthedocs.io/), https://github.com/MODFLOW-USGS/modflow6-testmodels, and https://github.com/MODFLOW-USGS/modflow6-largetestmodels The tests may also be looked at as examples of how to use the program.
Upload test data sets if available:
Describe ideal data for testing

Do you have current or future plans for collaborating with other researchers?

Is there a manual available?	Yes
Upload manual if available:	Media:Tm6a57.pdf, Media:Tm6a55.pdf, Media:Tm6a56.pdf, Media:Tm6a61.pdf, Media:Tm6a62.pdf
Model website if any	https://www.usgs.gov/software/modflow-6-usgs-modular-hydrologic-model
Model forum / discussion board	https://github.com/MODFLOW-USGS/modflow6/discussions and https://groups.google.com/g/modflow

Comments

This part will be filled out by CSDMS staff

OpenMI compliant	Not yet"Not yet" is not in the list (Yes, No but planned, No but possible, No not possible) of allowed values for the "Code openmi compliant or not" property.
BMI compliant	Not yet"Not yet" is not in the list (Yes, No but planned, No but possible, No not possible) of allowed values for the "Code IRF or not" property.
WMT component	Not yet"Not yet" is not in the list (Yes, In progress, No but possible, No not possible) of allowed values for the "Code CMT compliant or not" property.
PyMT component	Not yet"Not yet" is not in the list (Yes, In progress, No but possible, No not possible) of allowed values for the "Code PyMT compliant or not" property.
Is this a data component	No

DOI model
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Can be coupled with:	Animation_model_name,

Model info

Authors

Joseph Hughes

Langevin

Source code

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MODFLOW 6

Introduction

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Input Files

Output Files