Despite the recent dramatic growth of computational capability, our ability to model complex, 3D groundwater systems is still severely limited because of a number of tough computational and conceptual challenges including: the machine bottleneck; the algorithmic bottleneck; and the data assimilation problem. This research addresses systematically these fundamental difficulties in large-scale groundwater modeling using an interdisciplinary approach. In particular, the research takes advantage of hierarchy theory and develops: a hierarchical and patch dynamic framework for modeling complex groundwater systems across multiple scales; and a new modeling paradigm that resolves a significant computer science problem - a barrier to the practical implementation of hierarchical modeling. Specifically, the new, IT-enabled, and hierarchical patch dynamic framework will: (a) allow modeling complex groundwater systems without having to solve large, ill-conditioned matrix systems and thus eliminate or substantially alleviate the infamous "curse of dimensionality" and the associated computational bottlenecks in 3D groundwater modeling; (b) provide a systematic "scaling ladder" to link data and models across multiple scales and assimilate information from disparate sources; and (c) provide on the fly integration of hierarchical computations and visualizations, free users from having to interact with each subscale modeling patches, and eliminate the associated human bottlenecks.
The proposed hierarchical modeling environment may potentially change the way computational modeling is done in groundwater hydrology and substantially improve our ability to understand subsurface systems, processes, and scale interactions and to develop model-based tools for integrated water resources management and environmental cleanup.
