HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Reclamation for aspen revegetation in the Athabasca oil sands: Understanding soil water dynamics

HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Reclamation for aspen revegetation in the Athabasca oil sands: Understanding soil water dynamics

We’re pleased to highlight this publication which focuses on understanding soil water dynamics in reclaimed landscapes within the Athabasca oil sands region using unsaturated flow modeling. The study explores how different reclamation strategies affect soil water availability and water table fluxes— critical components for supporting aspen revegetation, a key species in boreal forest ecosystems.

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HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Reactive transport modelling of acid mine drainage within discretely fractured porous media: Plume evolution from a surface source zone

HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Reactive transport modelling of acid mine drainage within discretely fractured porous media: Plume evolution from a surface source zone

This paper investigates the fate and transport of acid mine drainage (AMD) through fractured porous media using a discrete fracture network (DFN) modelling approach. This research addresses a critical environmental challenge in mining regions— predicting how acidic contaminants generated by sulphide mineral oxidation migrate through complex geological formations and interact with host rocks over time.

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Staff Research Highlight - A Continuous Differentiable Formulation for Seepage Face Boundary Conditions in Dynamic Groundwater Systems

Staff Research Highlight - A Continuous Differentiable Formulation for Seepage Face Boundary Conditions in Dynamic Groundwater Systems

This research by Aquanty staff introduces a continuously differentiable formulation for seepage face boundary conditions in dynamic groundwater systems. Traditional approaches often model seepage faces with abrupt boundary transitions, leading to numerical instabilities, convergence issues, and computational inefficiencies in transient groundwater simulations. This research presents a novel approach that ensures smooth transitions between saturated and unsaturated zones, improving the stability and accuracy of numerical groundwater models.

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Manitoba Cooperator - Farm climate adaptation on tap with MFGA project

Manitoba Cooperator - Farm climate adaptation on tap with MFGA project

The Manitoba Co-operator has featured the latest MFGA initiative, with comments from Dr. Steve Frey, Aquanty’s Director of Research Services, highlighting how advanced modelling is supporting more climate-resilient farming in Manitoba. The new project “Evaluating climate change impacts on Manitoba’s forage and grassland landscapes” will build on the MFGA Aquanty hydrologic model to simulate how changing climate conditions could impact water availability, land use, and agricultural sustainability across the Pembina Valley and Assiniboine West Watershed Districts.

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Staff Research Highlight - A dynamic meshing scheme for integrated hydrologic modeling to represent evolving landscapes

Staff Research Highlight - A dynamic meshing scheme for integrated hydrologic modeling to represent evolving landscapes

Aquanty is pleased to introduce a novel dynamic meshing scheme for integrated hydrologic modelling with HydroGeoSphere to better represent evolving landscapes. The approach addresses a major challenge in modelling human-altered environments, particularly in regions undergoing rapid changes such as open-pit mining sites, land reclamation zones, or urban developments. Traditional hydrologic models often rely on static mesh geometries, limiting their ability to capture changes in topography and subsurface structure over time. This research proposes a more flexible, adaptive framework capable of simulating surface and subsurface hydrologic responses to complex engineering activities.

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HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Modeling fate and transport of E. coli in a small watershed with grazing lands around a pond

HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Modeling fate and transport of E. coli in a small watershed with grazing lands around a pond

This research investigates the fate and transport of E. coli in a small watershed with grazing lands surrounding a pond, using HydroGeoSphere (HGS) to develop a mechanistic numerical model. Understanding how E. coli moves through surface and subsurface water systems is crucial for managing microbial contamination risks in agricultural watersheds, where livestock activities can significantly impact water quality.

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HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Monetizing the role of water in sustaining watershed ecosystem services using a fully integrated subsurface–surface water model

HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Monetizing the role of water in sustaining watershed ecosystem services using a fully integrated subsurface–surface water model

This research, co-authored by David R. Lapen, Susan Preston, Tariq Aziz, and Steven K. Frey, highlights the role of subsurface water in sustaining ecosystem services during droughts. Using HydroGeoSphere (HGS), the team analyzed the South Nation Watershed (SNW) in eastern Ontario, emphasizing how subsurface water supports evapotranspiration in agricultural landscapes.

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