HYDRUS Short Course, Skukuza 2010

HYDRUS shortcourse: December 6-10, 2010, Skukuza, South Africa

“Advanced modeling of water flow and solute transport in the vadose zone with HYDRUS ”

The School of Bioresources Engineering and Environmental Hydrology, University of KwaZulu-Natal

The shortcourse instructors:
Dr. Jirka Šimůnek, Dept. of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
Keith Bristow, CSIRO Land and Water, Queensland, Australia
Simon Lorentz, The School of Bioresources Engineering and Environmental Hydrology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Venue and lodging

Lectures will be held in the new conference facility in the Skukuza rest camp, Kruger National Park. Lodging will be provided in 2-bed bungalows with bathroom and some with either private or communal kitchen. Student accommodation will be provided in 2- and 4- bed fixed safari tents with communal bathrooms and kitchens. Accommodation is limited and your preference may not be available. You will be contacted accordingly.

Overview

The strain on water resources, both in terms of quantity and quality in southern Africa, requires increasingly accurate estimates of water and solute fluxes in unsaturated porous media (vadose zone) in numerous settings. These include:

1. infiltration and uptake in agriculture (water and solutes);
2. irrigation and drainage applications;
3. flow through earth dams;
4. hydraulic and solute fluxes through waste impoundments and covers;
5. local hillslope vadose zone responses;
6. groundwater-surface water interactions.

Numerical modeling is becoming an increasingly important tool for analyzing these complex problems. This course is designed to familiarize participants with the principles and mathematical analysis of variably-saturated flow and transport processes, and the application of state-of-the-art numerical codes to site-specific subsurface flow and transport problems.

Target Audience

The course is intended for graduate students, researchers and professionals wishing to expand their knowledge of water flow, contaminant transport and solute reactions on variably-saturated porous media. Appropriate CPD points will be assigned to the course. Participants will be presented with an attendance certificate and CPD certificate where relevant.

Course Description

The course begins with a detailed conceptual and mathematical description of water flow and solute transport processes in the vadose zone, followed by a brief overview of the use of finite element techniques for solving the governing flow and transport equations. Special attention is given to the highly nonlinear nature of the governing flow equation. Alternative methods for describing and modeling the hydraulic functions of unsaturated porous media are also described.

The course introduces a new generation of Windows-based numerical models for simulating water, heat and/or contaminant transport in variably-saturated porous media. These include the HYDRUS-1D and HYDRUS (2D/3D) codes. In addition participants will use the RETC program for optimizing input hydraulic characteristics.

"Hands-on" computer sessions will provide participants an opportunity to become familiar with the Windows-based RETC, HYDRUS-1D and HYDRUS-2D/3D software packages. Emphasis will be on the preparation of input data for a variety of applications. Calibration will be discussed and demonstrated by means of both one- and two-dimensional inverse problems. In addition participants will be introduced to the PHREEQC-2 and HP1 models for simulating biogeochemical fate and transport in unsaturated flow.

Program

Day 1

1. Vadose zone flow and transport modelling.
2. Introduction to HYDRUS software packages
3. Characterisation of hydraulic properties of unsaturated porous media

Day 2

1. Application of HYDRUS-1D to direct problems
2. Parameter estimation and inverse modelling
3. Application of HYDRUS-1D to inverse problems

Day 3

1. Application of HYDRUS-2D/3D to simple 2D problems
2. Field visit to demonstrate various hydraulic characteristic measurements and vadose zone monitoring

Day 4

1. Application of HYDRUS-2D/3D to complex 2D problems
2. Discussion of participant specific case studies

Day 5

1. Introduction to biogeochemical equilibrium and reactive transport modelling
2. Introduction to PHREEQC and HP1
3. New issues including virus transport; biodegradation; upscaling.

Registration Fee

The registration fee includes lodging (5 nights Sunday to Thursday nights incl.), lectures, course material, refreshments and lunches:

R 4 200 (Bungalow with kitchen)
R 4 000 (Bungalow with communal kitchen)
Students:
R 3 000 (2-bed Safari tent/communal bathroom)
R 2 800 (4-bed Safari tent/communal bathroom)

Computer exercises will be carried out on your own personal laptops. Please inform us if you are not able to bring your own laptop.

'More information

• Contact Dr. Simon Lorentz, or Prof. Jirka Simunek jiri.simunek@ucr.edu
• Draft of the Flyer

Comments after the Course

At the tenth year anniversary of one unforgettable HYDRUS short course (in 2000 at the Magnetic Island in the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Queensland, Australia), we had another short course, which certainly reached those previous heights. This time in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, i.e., again in the southern hemisphere. Keith Bristow (SCIRO) again showed his unprecedented touch in selecting unparalleled exotic locations. During this course, the hard work of learning during the day (8:30 am - 7:30 pm; see selected pictures below) was awarded by morning (at around 5:30 am), or evening/night game rides (see selected pictures below) and/or evening braais. Where does HYDRUS take us next time?

Selected Photos from the Course

Selected Photos from the Game Rides