Machine Learning for Flood and Drought Forecasting
May
1

Machine Learning for Flood and Drought Forecasting

Floods and droughts are the costliest natural disasters in Canada, but impacts on live and livelyhoods can be mitigated with sufficient warning. Currently, flood and drought forecasting is done by govenment agencies and primarily based on semi-empirical hydrological models. This presentation will start with a brief review of current hydrological forecasting methods and their limitations, before introducing a new machine learning approach to streamflow forecasting that has received significant attention in the scientific literature for its versatilty and high forecast skill. We will outline what enabled the success of this new approach and why it yields superior skill to previous methods, in particular in ungauged watersheds (which has been a long-standing challenge in hydrology). Finally, the challenges of operational implementation of this method as a forecasting service will be discussed, using Aquanty's real-time hydrological forecasting platform as an example. Such challenges include real-time processing of numerical weather forecasts, availability of input data, and aspects of stakeholder engagement and gaining trust with the end-user.

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - May 2024
May
2

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - May 2024

This online training session is free to attend!

Click Here to Register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    • Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

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IAGLR 2024 - Shared Lakes: One Water, One Health
May
20
to May 24

IAGLR 2024 - Shared Lakes: One Water, One Health

Researchers from around the world will gather in Windsor for the 67th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research—the fifth time we've gathered in this central location along the Detroit River, or Waawiyaataanong Ziibi , known as "where the river bends" in Anishnaabemowin. A great program is in store with four days of scientific sessions and speakers centered around our theme Shared Lakes: One Water, One Health. This focus will offer a unique opportunity for both the science and local communities to share about the health of the Great Lakes and will highlight the intersections between environmental and public health in the context of large lakes, often shared across borders, and the communities impacted by them.

Join Brayden McNeill at our booth for a demonstration of Aquanty’s real-time hydrologic forecasting system (HGSRT) or to learn more about the Canada1Water project. We also expect to be delivering a presentation during session #5 (“Smarter Lakes are Better Lakes: Creating an Ecosystem of Digitally Connected Fresh Water”).

Title: HGSRT: Connecting streams, lakes, and groundwater in real time and on the web

Abstract: Aquanty staff present HydroGeoSphere Real-Time (HGSRT), a digital web application for disseminating near-real-time hydrologic forecasts based on HydroGeoSphere, a fully integrated hydrologic modeling system that simulates the entire terrestrial water cycle. Three-dimensional physics-based models were built using HydroGeoSphere for twelve ~5000 km2 watersheds in Southern Ontario, each draining into the Great Lakes. These models are being run in near-real-time with weather forecast data and IOT sensor data, providing digital twins of the watersheds. With state-of-the-art fully integrated models under the hood, the HGSRT forecasts can confer up-to-date insights into physical processes such as streamflow, groundwater, soil moisture, recharge/discharge, and reservoir conditions. The web application is responsive and allows for water managers to monitor conditions on-the-go, including in ungauged areas. Recent developments and exciting new opportunities will be presented including water quality forecasting, quantifying forecast skill, and the development of a continental scale, open-source data framework to enable HGSRT deployment throughout the Great Lakes basin.

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MODFLOW and More 2024
Jun
2
to Jun 5

MODFLOW and More 2024

Conference Registration for MODFLOW and More 2024 “Hydrologic Modeling in a Changing World” is now open!

The 10th rendition of the MODFLOW-and-More (MF&M) conference convened in 2022 at Princeton University and was a great success, and Princeton is again the home for the 2024 conference.

The MF&M conference series has provided a vibrant forum for researchers, developers, practitioners, and regulators in the groundwater modeling community to convene, share experiences, and propagate ideas. Approaching the 2024 conference, groundwater has taken center-stage, and attendees will witness in-person presentations on wide-ranging topics and engage with leaders in the groundwater modeling community in the awe-inspiring surroundings of Princeton University.

For more event details, visit the links below:

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION:

https://princeton.irisregistration.com/Form/MODFLOW24

 ABSTRACT SUBMISSION:

https://event.fourwaves.com/modflow2024/pages

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

https://igwmc.princeton.edu/modflow/

Or you can contact igwmc@princeton.edu with any questions.

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - June 2024
Jun
12

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - June 2024

Mak

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

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CWRA 2024 Saskatoon National Conference
Jun
17
to Jun 19

CWRA 2024 Saskatoon National Conference

Registration for CWRA 2024 National Conference is now open!

Explore the Future of Water Management at CWRA 2024 Saskatoon National Conference.

Mark your calendars for June 17-19, 2024, as the Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA) has its highly anticipated national conference in Saskatoon. This event brings together leading experts and professionals in the field of water resources to explore innovative solutions, share best practices, and address pressing challenges facing water management in 2024.

Visit the conference website by clicking the links below, and discover the full agenda highlights, and registration details. See you in Saskatoon!

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION:

https://conference.cwra.org/registration/

 FOR MORE INFORMATION:

https://conference.cwra.org/

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - July 2024
Jul
4

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - July 2024

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - August 2024
Aug
7

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - August 2024

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

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IGC 2024 - 37th Annual Conference of the International Geological Congress
Aug
25
to Aug 31

IGC 2024 - 37th Annual Conference of the International Geological Congress

There will be many opportunities to connect with Aquanty at this conference. Join Brayden McNeill at our booth for a demonstration of Aquanty’s real-time hydrologic forecasting system (HGSRT) or to learn more about the Canada1Water project.

Or you can connect with Dr. Steve Berg and Dr. Hyoun-Tae Hwang at the session that we are hosting on Groundwater Surface Water Interactions.

Finally, you’ll have a chance to learn more about HydroGeoSphere at our short-course preceding the conference. Details below!

Session Information - Groundwater and surface water interactions

Session #: T18-Session 6

Conveners: Dr. Steve Berg and Dr. Hyoun-Tae Hwang

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Rene Therrien

Description:

Groundwater-surface water (GW-SW) interactions are generally considered as water, solute, or heat exchanges between groundwater and surface water systems. Groundwater discharges into rivers and lakes and sustains ecosystems by regulating the water cycle. On the other hand, surface water also affects groundwater system through a recharge process. Therefore, from the hydrological perspective, groundwater and surface water are a single resource and managing this resource requires an understanding of how these systems interact. As a single resource, understanding interactions between groundwater and surface water has been significantly important for water quantity and quality management, including flood and drought controls, contamination risk mitigation, and biological and ecological system sustainability and assessment. Considering the importance of GW-SW interactions, there are growing studies on the spatiotemporal dynamics of GW-SW interactions because of requiring multidisciplinary understanding across social, political, and scientific communities. This session aims to bring together researchers, practitioners and stakeholders in the fields of water resources and to introduce and discuss current advancements in understanding GW-SW interaction dynamics including water flow, solute and heat transport, and eco-hydrological processes from theoretical aspects, field and laboratory experiments/observations, and numerical and analytical modelling.

HydroGeoSphere Short Course: Introduction to Fully-Integrated Hydrologic Modelling

Presenters: Dr. Hyoun-Tae Hwang

Course Assistance: Dr. Steve Berg and Brayden McNeill

Course Duration: 2 days

Description:

Tackling problems of water quantity and quality increasingly requires the simulation and quantification of complex flow and transport processes in coupled surface-subsurface systems. Over the last 15 years, HydroGeoSphere (HGS) has become available to address those types of problems. This 3-day HGS short course will be held at BEXCO, Busan, South Korea from the 23 to 24 of August 2024. The two-day short course will include three sessions: surface and groundwater modelling theories, basic tutorials for HGS operation, and advanced modelling techniques. These sessions will cover modelling techniques for solving commonly encountered advanced groundwater flow and contaminant transport problems in the real world. Participants will learn how to apply HGS to their own research or industrial projects through a combination of presentations and hand-on practices. The topics covered include: theoretical background of groundwater-surface water flow and contaminant transport (mathematical formulation and numerical approaches); hands-on simulation exercises (data preparation, mesh generation, HGS operation, calibration, visualization, and result interpretation); cost-effective computing skills (parallel computing utilities, characteristics of nonlinear problems, and effective mesh generation). Session 1. Surface and Groundwater Modelling: Theories and Real-World Applications. This session covers basic theories of surface and groundwater modelling implemented into HGS, including the development of conceptual models, a review of model parameterization/data requirements, and the application of boundary conditions. Modelling techniques related to groundwater systems will also be introduced in this session. Additionally, we will introduce the latest research and developments in fully integrated simulation of hydrosystems from the HGS team and user community, and potential applications for the HGS integrated modelling platform. Session 2. HGS Basics. This module covers basic skills for operating HGS from software installs to simulation output visualizations. All participants will practice how to construct conceptual models, setup boundary conditions and apply various groundwater physics such as well injection and extraction, reactive contaminant transport. Additionally, we will present efficient ways for processing datasets that are required for pre- and post-processes of HGS simulations. Session 3. Advanced HGS Modelling. This session covers important techniques for advanced simulations. Specifically, we will present how to generate quality meshes, model calibration processes and recent HGS developments for solving water resources problems. For advanced simulation examples and practices, all participants will solve several practical problem sets. Specifically, the topics of this workshop include: 1) overview of a basin-scale model and data structures, 2) detailed mesh generation, 3) 3D subsurface and 2D surface model constructions, 4) simulation parameter settings for cost-effective modelling, 5) detailed HGS-PEST operations based on the example model, 6) groundwater contribution analysis, and 7) model uncertainty analysis.

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - September 2024
Sep
4

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - September 2024

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

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GeoMontréal 2024
Sep
15
to Sep 18

GeoMontréal 2024

  • Hotel Bonaventure Montréal, Quebec Canada (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Discover the Future of Geosciences at GeoMontréal 2024!

The Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS), in collaboration with the Canadian National Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH-CNC), proudly presents GeoMontréal 2024!

Mark your calendars for September 15-18, 2024, as the CGS, in collaboration with the IAH-CNC, are hosting their 77th Canadian Geotechnical Conference and the 16th Joint CGS/IAH-CNC Groundwater Conference, GeoMontréal 2024.

Visit the conference website by clicking the links below, and discover the full speaker list, and registration details.

 FOR MORE INFORMATION:

https://www.geomontreal2024.ca/

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - November 2024
Nov
6

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - November 2024

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

View Event →
Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - December 2024
Dec
4

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - December 2024

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

View Event →

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - April 2024
Apr
3

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - April 2024

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

View Event →
Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - March 2024
Mar
6

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - March 2024

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

View Event →
Introducing the HydroGeoSphere Interface - A Graphical User Interface for HGS now available with GMS v10.8
Feb
28

Introducing the HydroGeoSphere Interface - A Graphical User Interface for HGS now available with GMS v10.8

Click here to register for the webinar!

We are extremely pleased to announce the release of the HGS Interface in partnership with Aquaveo. HydroGeoSphere users have been awaiting an HGS graphical user interface (GUI) for quite a long time, and we’re thrilled that our partnership with Aquaveo is now delivering on this need.

The HGS Interface is a GUI for HydroGeoSphere that has been built into Aquaveo’s flagship Groundwater Modeling System (GMS), one of the world’s premier software packages for subsurface hydrological simulations. With the introduction of the extremely powerful HydroGeoSphere simulation engine, GMS v10.8 users will be able to construct fully-integrated groundwater-surface water models powered by HydroGeoSphere!

Join Brayden McNeill for a short webinar to showcase the HydroGeoSphere Interface, work through a short tutorial as a demonstration and Q&A session with representatives from Aquanty and Aquaveo.

The HGS Interface for GMS supports the most integral features/capabilities of the HGS modeling engine including 2D surface water flow, 3D variably saturated groundwater flow, and evapotranspiration. A full suite of boundary conditions and parameterization tools are available to support these basic flow capabilities. Please note that the HGS Interface for GMS v10.8 does not support the full feature list offered by HGS. Additional HGS capabilities may be implemented using the native HGS workflow (contact GMS sales/support for more information). For example, a flow model produced using the HGS interface for GMS may be modified using the native HGS workflow to incorporate solute transport, density dependent flow, fracture flow, etc. Future versions of the HGS Interface may expand on the HGS features/capabilities supported by GMS.

Click here to register for the webinar!

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - February 2024
Feb
7

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - February 2024

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

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Pacific Climate Security Conference - Climate Change and Security in Western North America
Feb
1

Pacific Climate Security Conference - Climate Change and Security in Western North America

Dr. Steve Frey

Aquanty’s Senior Scientist and Director of Research - Dr. Steve Frey - will take part in a panel discussion at the Climate Security Association of Canada’s (CSAC) Pacific Climate Security conference on February 1st, 2024.

Understanding the links between climate change and security is an urgent global priority for policymakers, scholars, civil society, and security and defence practitioners. Effectively
addressing these issues requires interdisciplinary and multi-method theorization, analysis, and
policy development. Join Dr. Frey, along with researchers from Northern Arizona University and University of Victoria for a panel discussion discussing specific impacts of climate change and their associated security concerns in Western North America.

Understanding the multifaceted links between climate change and security across the global, national, and human levels of analysis is an urgent priority for policymakers, scholars, civil society, and security and defence practitioners. Complex relationships exist between the unfolding crisis of human-caused environmental change and phenomena such as armed conflict, violent extremism, migration, poverty, resource scarcity, political instability, economic prosperity, energy security, and community resilience, requiring interdisciplinary and multi-method analysis and policy development. Climate-related security challenges encompass changes in the international and domestic threat environments, the need to decarbonize defence and national security activities, and tensions among competing security priorities, electoral politics, and a range of social movements. Climate-related hazards will increase in coming years, making it vital to identify and support emerging leaders in the field of climate change and security, and to foster connections between scholars, analysts, and practitioners committed to addressing these inter-related social, political, economic, and ecological challenges.
— Pacific Climate Security Conference prospectus
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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - January 2024
Jan
3

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - January 2024

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

View Event →
Webinar - Using Wetlands to “Flatten the Hydrograph”
Dec
13

Webinar - Using Wetlands to “Flatten the Hydrograph”

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

We were so pleased to see a presentation featuring HydroGeoSphere at the recent Latornell Conservation Symposium (one of Ontario's premier annual environmental conferences). The presentation - titled “Using Wetlands to “Flatten the Hydrograph” - was delivered by representatives from Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), and focused on a recent collaboration between DUC, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and Aquanty. At the center of the project is an advanced integrated hydrologic model (built with HydroGeoSphere) of the Dog Lake watershed in Northern Ontario. Dog Lake is but one small part of the hydrologic network which serves as the basis for OPG’s network of hydroelectric infrastructure, a vital part of Ontario’s economy.

OPG currently supports a complex network of 66 hydroelectric generating stations and 240 hydraulic dams over the course of 24 river systems. As climate change causes hydrologic conditions to drift further and further from the historic norms upon which this complex hydroelectric infrastructure was designed, the efficiency and continued viability of the network is put at greater and greater risk. In short, climate change is leading to lower flows in the river networks serving Ontario’s hydroelectric infrastructure. This leads us to the main research question for this study: can “wetlands hold the key to helping generate more electricity for Ontario residents by decreasing peak flows in the spring and increasing ground-water flows into the reservoirs during the summer”?

If you would like to read more about this study before the webinar, please read the following story on the DUC website:

DUC and Ontario Power Generation’s wetland modelling research project could spark change

Abstract:

Climate change is resulting in earlier snowmelt, heavier spring precipitation and drier summers which is causing lower than average summer water levels in Ontario Power Generation reservoirs. This has limited OPG’s capacity to generate sufficient electricity in mid summer when demand is high. Ducks Unlimited Canada is working in partnership with Ontario Power Generation to utilize sophisticated 3D hydrological modelling to explore the feasibility of utilizing wetlands as a nature based solution to enhance baseflows into large hydroelectric reservoirs.

About the presenters:

Michael Williams is the head of restoration and client services at Ducks Unlimited Canada. Mike is long time employee with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). He began his career in northern Alberta in 1990 as the Area Biologist for the Grande Prairie office and remained there until 1997 when family and a warmer climate pushed him eastward. Since relocating to Barrie, Mike has worked in various roles designing and implementing wetland habitat programs at the landscape level. Since 2016, Mike has been managing DUC’s environmental consulting branch and is responsible for providing cost effective, nature-based solutions for their Clients.

Dr. Pascal Badiou has been a research scientist with Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research (IWWR) since 2006. Prior to joining DUC Pascal worked as an aquatic scientist specializing in water quality and aquatic ecology for an environmental consulting firm in Winnipeg. In general, Pascal’s research interests focus on the ecology of wetlands and shallow lakes. He is particularly interested in how multiple stressors such as droughts, eutrophication, nonindigenous species and pesticides interact to affect the ability of wetlands to enhance water quality and regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Currently Dr. Badiou is working in a number of prairie watersheds where he and his team are examining the impacts of wetland management practices (drainage and restoration) on hydrology and water quality at large scales. Dr. Badiou has a B.Sc. in Environmental Science and a Ph.D. in Wetland Ecology from the University of Manitoba. He is an adjunct professor in the University of Manitoba’s departments of Biological Sciences and Soil Science.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - December 2023
Dec
6

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - December 2023

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

View Event →
Webinar - Playing to the Strengths of HydroGeoSphere: Unleashing Digital Twins for Integrated Hydrologic Modelling
Dec
5

Webinar - Playing to the Strengths of HydroGeoSphere: Unleashing Digital Twins for Integrated Hydrologic Modelling

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Since the framework for fully-integrated surface water and groundwater hydrologic models was first laid out over 50 years ago, considerable progress has been made towards realizing that vision. Today, fully integrated hydrologic models (such as HydroGeoSphere) are routinely applied to a wide variety of problems and scales.

Compared to traditional groundwater or surface water only models a fully integrated approach to simulating the hydrologic cycle presents a different set of opportunities (and challenges!). Making the transition to fully integrated modelling often requires a bit of a shift in perspective to fully realize the benefits of this powerful approach to water resources engineering.

Join Dr. Steve Berg to learn how you can maximize the power of HydroGeoSphere in your own modelling projects.

In this talk, we will:

  • Briefly discuss the seminal paper for this field on numerical modelling (Freeze and Harlan,1969)

  • Review the key process hydrologic processes handled by HGS and discuss what makes tightly-coupled integrated modelling so powerful

  • Review key applications for which this modelling approach excels

  • Review of ‘advanced’ HGS functionality

  • How to design an HGS model for your problem to best leverage it's strengths

  • Discuss the future of integrated hydrologic modelling (where are we heading)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

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2023 MFGA Conference - Regenerative Agriculture: Building the Legacy
Nov
13
to Nov 15

2023 MFGA Conference - Regenerative Agriculture: Building the Legacy

Join Aquanty staff at the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Associations 2023 Conference, featuring North American keynote speakers and local producer panels, all focusing on regenerative agriculture and the great potential of profitable farm operations via your farm's soil, herds and learning more about the potential for human health benefits from soil-benefitting agriculture practices.

Visit our booth to demo the MFGA Aquanty Water Forecast Tool!

Don’t the keynote presentation by Aquanty’s Dr. Steve Frey 9:15-10am on Nov 15th to provide an update on our work developing the MFGA Aquanty Water Forecast Tool.

Be sure to stop by our booth for a demonstration of the forecasting tool!

Announced last year, the tool will eventually allow the public, including farmers, to check what the water situation might look like in their area, in the same way they might check the weather. The MFGA envisions a forecast integrating soil moisture data, ground water depth, depth to groundwater, surface water levels, stream flow, exfiltration and water recharge. Users would be able to access those data layers through an online portal and could hone in on their watershed or the closest data collection station.” — Alexis Stockford, Reporter for the Manitoba Cooperator

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - November 2023
Nov
1

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - November 2023

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

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2023 Latornell Conservation Symposium - "Changing Climates: Our Watershed Moment"
Oct
23
to Oct 24

2023 Latornell Conservation Symposium - "Changing Climates: Our Watershed Moment"

Join Aquanty staff at the 2023 Latornell Conservation Symposium, one of Ontario’s premier annual environmental events. The Symposium provides a forum for practitioners, policy makers, nongovernment organizations, academics and businesses to network and discuss the challenges and opportunities in Ontario’s conservation field.

Visit our booth to demo HGSRT!

This year’s symposium includes several sessions on topics which represent common theme’s in Aquanty’s consulting work, including watershed management, water resources, and climate change.

Brayden McNeill will be available at our exhibitor booth for the duration of the conference. Be sure to stop by for a demonstration of HGSRT (HydroGeoSphere-RealTime) - Aquanty’s real-time hydrologic forecasting platform, currently available for watersheds throughout Southern Ontario. We’ll also be available to discuss the Canada1Water project, Aquanty’s ambitious continental scale climate change impact analysis on Canada’s water resources.

“This year, the Latornell Conservation Symposium challenges conservation professionals to consider, “Is this our Watershed Moment?” We work in ever-changing environmental, political, social, and economic climates. We’re experiencing the impacts of climate change and subsequent impacts on our watersheds.”

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Integrated Hydrologic Modeling with HydroGeoSphere - Short Course
Oct
16
to Oct 18

Integrated Hydrologic Modeling with HydroGeoSphere - Short Course

This 3-day short course is being held as a hybrid event (online and in-person).

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Click here to request details and register.

Join the Aquanty team for a 3-day intensive course which explores the complete integrated hydrologic modeling process using HydroGeoSphere (HGS). This course consists of various lectures and exercises to explore topics such as the benefits of integrated hydrologic modeling, the governing equations that control flow in an HGS model, model mesh generation and results visualization, numerical solution techniques and model convergence troubleshooting, atmospheric & winter processes, model calibration and more.

Attendees of this course will receive a temporary license of HydroGeoSphere (30-day), a temporary license of AlgoMesh (2-week), a copy of all course content including lectures (PDF) and exercises, and the opportunity to network with other HydroGeoSphere users and the software development team. In addition, attendees of the training course will be eligible for a 10% discount on HydroGeoSphere software purchases (eligible within 12-months of the training session).

  • Registration fee: $1,200 USD (50% discount for students)

  • Location: Online & in-person at Aquanty’s office (600 Weber St. N., Unit B, Waterloo, ON N2K1K4)

  • Date/Time: October 16-18th, from 9am - 5pm EST daily

  • NOTE: a minimum of 5 attendees are required for this event to take place. If the minimum attendance requirement is not met a full refund will be issued for cancellation.

THE TRAINING COURSE WILL EXPLORE THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:

  • Intro to Integrated Hydrologic Modelling

    • Benefits of integrated modelling

    • HydroGeoSphere features/capabilities

    • Example applications

  • The Governing Equations that Power HGS

    • Variably saturated groundwater flow, surface runoff flow, 1D hydraulic features, flow coupling, solute transport, etc.

  • The HydroGeoSphere Workflow

    • Using executables (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    • Building your model *.grok file

    • Review of model input/output files

    • Data management/best practices

  • AlgoMesh and Constructing Triangular Finite Element Meshes

  • Tecplot/ParaView and Visualizing Model Results

  • Numerical Solution Techniques and Model Convergence Troubleshooting

    • CVFE, CVFD solution methods, adaptive timestepping, parallel processing, interpreting model runtime output, optimizing simulation performance, etc.

  • Introduction to Atmospheric and Winter Processes

    • Evapotranpiration, snowmelt, pore-water freeze/thaw, time varying material properties, etc.

  • Advanced Applications and Techniques

    • Solute transport, density-dependent flow, fracture flow, model calibration, integrating HGS with PEST for parameter estimation, etc.

Click here to request details and register.

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Webinar - Data Space Inversion: History-Matching, Uncertainty Analysis and Data Worth Assessment for Complex Models
Sep
27

Webinar - Data Space Inversion: History-Matching, Uncertainty Analysis and Data Worth Assessment for Complex Models

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

At Aquanty we take pride in offering the very highest quality of service by staying at the cutting-edge of hydrologic science and promoting the adoption of best-in-class scientific methods. In this webinar we’re excited to introduce the powerful Data Space Inversion (DSI) technique to the HydroGeoSphere user community and the wider Aquanty network.

Join us in welcoming Dr. John Doherty who will introduce the key concepts and theory behind DSI, and our good friend and long-time HGS user Dr. Hugo Delottier who will present an example application of the DSI technique applied to a complex HydroGeoSphere model.

Part 1: Data Space Inversion: History-Matching, Uncertainty Analysis and Data Worth Assessment for Complex Models

Abstract:

Data space inversion (DSI) has been around for a while but has been largely ignored, except by some in the petroleum industry. It is simple to understand and easy to implement. Nevertheless, it is extremely powerful.

Suppose that you have built a complex groundwater model with a lengthy run time. Presumably, you have done this because you are pursuing integrity of representation of processes that affect groundwater in your study area. The same ideal should impel you to seek integrity of representation of the properties that affect these processes. However these properties are heterogeneous, and often highly uncertain. They must therefore be represented stochastically. Stochastic representation of subsurface hydraulic and other properties supports quantification of the uncertainties of predictions of management interest - an essential pre-requisite for informed decision-making. However reduction of these uncertainties through history-matching faces severe practical difficulties when using a complex model.

In many circumstances, these difficulties can be overcome relatively easily using DSI. DSI allows you to capitalize on your modelling investment. In particular, from a machine-learning perspective, it allows you to reap the benefits of the exceptionally good receptacles that your model provides for information that is resident in measurements of historical system behaviour - for example, heads, fluxes and contaminant/tracer concentrations.

DSI uses your model to develop stochastic linkages between the measured past and the managed future. This statistical model can then be conditioned on real-world measurements of historical system behaviour to yield maximum-likelihood predictions of future system behaviour. Posterior (i.e. post-data-assimilation) uncertainties can then be ascribed to these predictions. All of this can be achieved at a fraction of the normal cost of history-matching – perhaps with as few as 300 model runs. This fast-running surrogate model can be turned to other useful tasks. For example, you can use it to assess the efficacy of different proposed data-acquisition strategies in reducing the uncertainties of predictions that you care about. Investments in data can therefore be optimized.

In short, at next to no numerical or financial cost, DSI allows you to add a large amount of value to your existing modelling work. DSI is supported by both the PEST and PEST++ suites.

Part 2: Data space inversion for efficient uncertainty quantification with integrated surface and subsurface hydrologic models

Abstract:

Hydrological models are generally built to provide decision-makers with useful predictions of future system behaviour. This allows them to better rationalise water use. The development of such models usually requires acceptable replication of historical system behaviour. It also requires quantification of the uncertainties of predictions of management interest. This is traditionally done by adjusting model parameters to fit historical observations of system states and may require a large number of model runs. Data Space Inversion (DSI) provides an alternative (and highly model-run-efficient) method for quantifying the uncertainties of model predictions by developing statistical relationships between simulated past and future system behaviour. DSI therefore eliminates the need for parameter adjustment. This is of great utility because it dramatically facilitates the quantification of prediction uncertainty for decision-support models with long run times and/or complex parameterisation schemes. DSI is used in conjunction with a complex hydrological model representing a synthetic but realistic alluvial phreatic aquifer to predict fast surface water travel times to water production wells as well as surface water infiltration. The performance of DSI for uncertainty quantification is validated against more traditional approaches that require adjustment of a large number of parameters. Efficient uncertainty quantification can be achieved with a significant reduction in computational time (about two orders of magnitude), demonstrating the benefits of using DSI in conjunction with complex hydrological models.

About the presenters:

Dr. John Doherty is the author of PEST and its associated utility software. John has worked in the water industry for over 40 years – in government, industry and academia. He was the 2019 Darcy lecturer. John presently devotes much of his time to software development and decision-support modelling research and education through the industry-funded GMDSI initiative.

Dr. Hugo Delottier is groundwater hydrologist focused on modeling flow and transport processes in heterogeneous porous and fractured media. Hugo obtained a PhD in hydrogeology from Université de Bordeaux in France under the supervision of Prof. Alexandre Pryet, with research focused on model predictive uncertainty quantification and groundwater recharge processes. Hugo has been involved in a major regional integrated surface and subsurface modeling project in the southern Québec region together with Prof. René Therrien (original creator of HydroGeoSphere). The main purpose was to investigate the potential effects of climate changes on regional groundwater resources. Today Hugo works with Prof. Philip Brunner as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Hydrogeology and Geothermics (CHYN) at University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, studying the explicit simulation of environmental tracers through the use of advanced numerical modeling methods to better inform complex alluvial geology.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - September 2023
Sep
6

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - September 2023

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

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Lateral and vertical saltwater intrusion into a coastal aquifer: Impacts of sea-level rise, storm surges, coastal flooding, and tides
Sep
5

Lateral and vertical saltwater intrusion into a coastal aquifer: Impacts of sea-level rise, storm surges, coastal flooding, and tides

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

We were excited to meet HydroGeoSphere users at this summer’s CWRA conference in Halifax, NS! Join us and welcome HGS user Nicole Leroux, MASc, EIT as she delivers her CWRA presentation to the wider HGS user community!

Nicole graduated from Dalhousie University in 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and in 2023 with a master’s degree. Nicole is currently working as a research associate in the Dalhousie Coastal Hydrology Lab where she assists with lab oversight, field campaigns, and numerical modeling across several ongoing projects.

This webinar will be of special interest to those researching the impacts of climate change of the dynamic hydrology of coastal regions, and users who rely HydroGeoSphere’s density dependent flow capabilities for saltwater intrusion.

Aquanty has always believed in fostering a healthy user community, and sharing knowledge and best-in-class software tools to enhance hydrologic modelling capacity across the board. Are you interested in sharing your own research with the Aquanty network?

Reach out to us to organize a webinar of your own!


Lateral and vertical saltwater intrusion into a coastal aquifer: Impacts of sea-level rise, storm surges, coastal flooding, and tides

Nicole Leroux, MASc, EIT

Climate change is projected to substantially increase the global mean sea level, which will adversely impact coastal communities worldwide. Dykes have been used for hundreds of years to reduce the influence of tidal waters on a variety of land uses behind the dykes. In Atlantic Canada, much of this dyked coast is impacted by mega-tidal conditions, which can have significant impacts on surface and subsurface saltwater intrusion and water flow dynamics along the coast. While the effects of surface flooding typically receive the most attention, coastal aquifers in dykelands are also vulnerable to salinization from higher maximum surface water elevations arising from climate change induced sea-level rise and intensifying storms. Present dyke configurations and designs in many locations worldwide may not be able to withstand these environmental conditions. We have collected geophysical, hydrogeological, and hydrodynamic field data (e.g., tidal signals, wave dynamics, groundwater levels, salinity) from a dyked coastline in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada (Bay of Fundy) to investigate the risk of saltwater intrusion during storm surges. We apply these data to help calibrate and drive a hydrological model (HydroGeoSphere) to investigate the impacts of climate change (sea-level rise), tidal dynamics, and extreme events (storm surges) on coastal overtopping and resultant groundwater/soil salinization. Results suggest sea-level rise will influence the tidally maintained upper saline plume, while surface flooding overtopping the dykes results in salinization of shallow soils immediately behind the dykes. These modeling results provide critical information on prioritizing government investment in dyke enhancement, retreat, or removal, highlighting the importance of considering coastal groundwater resources in these decision frameworks.

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Visualizing HGS Output with Tecplot 360 - Training Session
Aug
23

Visualizing HGS Output with Tecplot 360 - Training Session

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Aquanty for a FREE 2-3 hour training session focused entirely on Tecplot, the leading post-processing tool for finite element mesh studies and Aquanty’s recommended tool to process and visualize the results of your HydroGeoSphere models. Tecplot 360 allows you to integrate XY, 2D & 3D plots and get them looking exactly the way you want, and communicate your results with brilliant images and animations.

Click here to register.

In this training session we’ll cover the following material:

Intro to Visualization Data, Key File Types

  • HGS output commands (hydrographs, observation wells, etc.)

  • Hsplot.exe output (3D, model-wide results)

  • Tecplot layout files

  • Data import/management

Tecplot Basics

  • Creating 2D plots – time series, calibration charts

  • Editing/formatting plot settings

Tecplot Intermediate

  • Creating 3D plots

  • Editing/formatting plot settings, display options

  • Isosurfaces, slices, streamlines

Tecplot Advanced

  • Animating time-series data

  • Dynamic/embedded plots, working with multiple frames

  • Data alter/manipulation, Tecplot equations

Demo and Q&A

Click here to register.

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Webinar - Model Convergence and Optimizing Runtimes with HydroGeoSphere
Aug
16

Webinar - Model Convergence and Optimizing Runtimes with HydroGeoSphere

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join us for a webinar focused on building high-quality HydroGeoSphere models that are more likely to converge on a solution, and optimizing those models and numerical criteria to reduce model runtimes. We’ll review a number of different numerical concepts with a focus on practical guidance on how to approach convergence optimization.

In this webinar Dr. Killian Miller and Dr. Hyoun-Tae Hwang will introduce key topics and considerations that should form the basis for all climate change impact analyses using HydroGeoSphere. Topics of discussion will include:

  • Review of solver methods and options

    • Finite difference vs finite element

    • Control volume vs standard finite difference

    • Level of fill, drop tolerance preconditioning/threshold, etc.

    • Solver acceleration techniques

    • Upstream weighting factor, central weighting

    • Underrelaxation factor

    • Dual node vs common node formulation

  • Review of solver output, i.e. understanding phgs.exe runtime output

    • Simulation progress output

    • Summary of nonlinear iteration

    • Adaptive timestepping summary

  • Recommendations for optimizing convergence of different types of problems

    • Numerical setting recommendations for different types of problems

    • How to read runtime output, which variables to monitor, how to respond and improve runtime

    • Review debug.control and restart functionality

    • General tips & tricks (i.e. building a high quality mesh, starting with appropriate initial conditions, etc.)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER


Interested in learning more about the control volume finite element method at the heart of HydroGeoSphere, and some of the benefits it provides (e.g. mass conservative, physically correct flow directions, monotonicity/no oscillations, etc.)? Watch our Numerical Methods and Parallel Processing webinar:

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - August 2023
Aug
2

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - August 2023

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

View Event →
Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - July 2023
Jul
5

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - July 2023

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

Click here to register.

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CWRA 2023 National Conference
Jun
18
to Jun 21

CWRA 2023 National Conference

Join Eric Kessel, Steve Frey and Brayden McNeill at the 76th Annual Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA) National Conference (“Rising With the Tide“) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Eric and Steve will both be giving presentations about our ongoing Canada1Water project, and Brayden will be available at our booth to discuss Aquanty’s ongoing projects and give product demonstrations. Stop by to say hello!

Click here to register for the conference.

Canada1Water overview: A national-scale hydroclimatological modelling initiative for climate change impact analysis

Authors: Steve Frey, Hazen Russel, Andre Erler, David Lapen

When: 10:35am, Wednesday June 21st, 2023

Where: Harbour B

Assessing the impact of climate change on Canada’s water resources requires a national solution that considers both groundwater (GW) and surface water (SW). The Canada1Water (C1W) initiative addresses this need through the use of HydroGeoSphere (HGS) fully-integrated GW-SW models that collectively provide complete coverage for drainage basins over continental Canada and Baffin Island. In addition to HGS, C1W is utilizing regional climate modelling conducted with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF 4.3) model and land surface modelling conducted with the Community Land Model (CLM 5) to generate future climate projection ensembles and thermal regimes for the GW-SW models. Spatial resolution among models varies, with HGS resolving Strahler order 4+ rivers in a 3-D unstructured mesh with <1 to 5 km  edge lengths, while WRF and CLM are running on 12.5 km and 5 km regular grids, respectively. For computational efficiency, and to accommodate distinct regional differences in physiography and hydrological characteristics, the continental-scale area of interest has been divided into seven HGS model domains that align with 7 major drainage regions; with areas ranging from 800,000 to 2.3 million km2. Each of the HGS models contains between six and eight subsurface layers that incorporate spatially varying hydraulic properties reflective of mineral and organic soils, and surficial and bedrock hydrostratigraphy. Results from C1W will help quantify changes in surface and subsurface hydrologic conditions at mid- and end-century time frames under an ensemble of climate projections. C1W model data sets and model outputs will be published under an Open Government Data licence.

Canada1Water data framework: Harmonized national-scale hydrographic, soils, and hydrogeologic information to support groundwater and surface water analysis

Authors: Eric Kessel, Steven Frey, Amanda Taylor, Omar Khader, David Lapen, Xiaoyuan Geng, Hazen Russell

When: 2:30-4:00pm, Mon & Tues (June 21st & 22nd), 2023

Where: Poster Session, Commonwealth B

Canada1Water (C1W) fully-coupled groundwater – surface water models require input data that describes surface and subsurface physical and hydraulic conditions within domains that comprise continental Canada and Baffin Island. Furthermore, the data needs to be harmonized such that it’s format, spatial resolution, and metadata is consistent. Because little of the requisite model input data previously existed at the continental scale, extensive work has gone into assembling, stitching together and normalizing datasets that typically conform to political boundaries, and/or specific regions within the C1W domain. Examples of C1W datasets include: (i) a blended and hole filled DEM available with and without stitched bathymetry for over 7500 lakes, (ii) a corrected and stream-ordered version of the NHN vector dataset, (iii) a gridded soils data set that includes classification and hydraulic properties for mineral and organic soils, (iv) physical and hydraulic characterization of surficial and bedrock hydrostratigraphy, and (v) a gridded top-of-bedrock topography. The C1W models are of relatively coarse scale, with Strahler order 4+ river representation; however, the underlying model construction datasets incorporate much finer spatial resolution and have potential uses that extend beyond large scale – regional analysis. As part of the C1W initiative, all of the harmonized model input data will be made publicly available through outlets such as the Geological Survey of Canada’s Open File system. It is the intention that the C1W datasets will help support future hydrologic modelling and analysis within Canada by simplifying the data assembly process.

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CANCELLED Training Session at CWRA Halifax - Integrated Hydrologic Modelling using HydroGeoSphere
Jun
11

CANCELLED Training Session at CWRA Halifax - Integrated Hydrologic Modelling using HydroGeoSphere

Integrated Hydrologic Modelling using HydroGeoSphere

We’re excited to see you at 76th annual CWRA National Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia! We’ll be delivering a 1-day intensive training course for conference attendees who are interested in leveraging the world’s most powerful integrated hydrologic modelling platform for their research programs.

Note: registration for this event is handled by CWRA. Registration is expected to open in April, monitor our social media for notifications!

Click here to register for the conference.

Course description:

Join the Aquanty team for a 1-day intensive course which explores the complete integrated hydrologic modeling process using HydroGeoSphere (HGS). This course includes a short session to explore the capabilities of HGS and the governing equations which power this integrated modelling platform, but the focus of the course is primarily on the practical aspects of using HGS. Attendees will explore the entire HGS modelling workflow, from model mesh generation using AlgoMesh to results visualization using ParaView. Significant time will be dedicated to exploring the command-based language used to construct HGS model input files, and the data requirements for constructing integrated groundwater-surface water models. You will also benefit from an overview of numerical solution techniques/best practices, model convergence troubleshooting, how to implement particle tracing, and the basics of introducing 1D & 2D hydraulic features to HydroGeoSphere models (e.g. channels, tile drains, fractures, etc.). 

Attendees of this course will receive a temporary license of HydroGeoSphere (30-day), a temporary license of AlgoMesh (2-week), a copy of all course content including lectures (PDF) and exercises, and the opportunity to network with other HydroGeoSphere users and the software development team.

Date: Sunday, June 18, 2022 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Prerequisites: There are no firm prerequisites for this course, but as HydroGeoSphere is a fully integrated (groundwater & surface water) simulation platform attendees will benefit from basic knowledge of principles and best practices of hydrologic modelling (e.g. development of conceptual model, use of boundary conditions, numerical solution methods, etc.).

Fees: $200 professionals; $50 students

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - June 2023
Jun
7

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - June 2023

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

Click here to register.

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Webinar - Climate Change Impact Analysis using HydroGeoSphere
Mar
22

Webinar - Climate Change Impact Analysis using HydroGeoSphere

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join us for a webinar focused on climate change impact analysis using HydroGeoSphere. As the relevant components of the global climate (e.g. temperature and precipitation patterns/intensity) drift further from historically reliable patterns, it becomes harder and harder to rely on these historical patterns as part of hydrologic studies. This is why HydroGeoSphere is an incredibly powerful tool for long-term climate change impact analyses of hydrologic systems.

As a physics-based simulation platform with a de-emphasis on the use of empirical relationships, HydroGeoSphere is an exceptionally powerful tool for modelling ‘unknowns’. These unknowns include regions with little to no observation data, but more importantly this physics-based approach is the most realistic and reliable way to simulate how water resources systems will react to future climatic conditions.

In this webinar Aquanty’s resident climate scientist Dr. Andre Erler will introduce key topics and considerations that should form the basis for all climate change impact analyses using HydroGeoSphere. Topics of discussion will include:

  • Introduction to climate modelling: International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Global Climate Models (GCMs), Regional Climate Models (RCMs)

  • Applying climate model output to HGS: bias-correction, data pre-processing, boundary condition conceptualization

  • Study design: scenario analysis, producing climate ensembles, addressing the signal-to-noise paradox in long-term climate predictions

  • Case study review: investigating climate change Impacts on surface water and groundwater interactions in the Grand River Watershed

  • Concluding remarks: summary and overview of the Canada1Water project - a blueprint for high-resolution climate change impact analysis across Canada

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER


Eager to learn more about HydroGeoSphere’s potential as a climate change impact analysis tool? Watch a webinar on our climate change impact analysis of the Athabasca River Basin!

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - Mar 2023
Mar
1

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - Mar 2023

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

Click here to register.

View Event →
SCAS Conference: Canada1Water framework for national scale hydrological modelling
Feb
22
to Feb 25

SCAS Conference: Canada1Water framework for national scale hydrological modelling

Aquanty will be attending the SCAS conference as part of our ongoing communications and outreach efforts for Canada1Water - our ambitious project to evaluate climate change impacts on ground/surface water sustainability across all of Canada at the continental scale, and to place water resources modelling and decision support tools in reach of all Canadians. Don’t miss Eric’s presentation!

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CatIQ Connect - Innovations in Canadian Flood Modelling (Panel Discussion)
Feb
7

CatIQ Connect - Innovations in Canadian Flood Modelling (Panel Discussion)

Join Aquanty’s Dr. Steve Frey and Dr. John Pomeroy of the Global Water Futures program at the University of Saskatchewan for a panel discussion on Innovations in Canadian Flood Modelling. This discussion will focus on recent improvements to short- and long-term flood forecasting, and Aquanty use of advanced integrated hydrologic models paired with climate change forecasts. New technological developments and projects like Canada1Water and HGSRT can help Canadian insurers to better mitigate, prepare and adapt for flooding now and in the future.

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - Feb 2023
Feb
1

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - Feb 2023

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

Click here to register.

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15th Annual Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds Conference
Jan
31
to Feb 1

15th Annual Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds Conference

Join Aquanty staff at the 15th Annual Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds Conference. This year’s conference theme is Water and Agriculture, with a focus on land management practices that can protect water at its source and positively impact communities across Saskatchewan. 

Visit our booth to demo the MFGA Aquanty Water Forecast Tool!

We’re attending this conference to inform producers and water managers in Saskatchewan about the new MFGA Aquanty Water Forecast Tool.

Aquanty’s senior software developer Derek Steinmoeller will be available at the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association exhibitor booth for the duration of the conference. Be sure to stop by for a demonstration of the forecasting tool!

Announced last year, the tool will eventually allow the public, including farmers, to check what the water situation might look like in their area, in the same way they might check the weather. The MFGA envisions a forecast integrating soil moisture data, ground water depth, depth to groundwater, surface water levels, stream flow, exfiltration and water recharge. Users would be able to access those data layers through an online portal and could hone in on their watershed or the closest data collection station.” — Alexis Stockford, Reporter for the Manitoba Cooperator

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Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - Jan 2023
Jan
4

Intro to HydroGeoSphere Training Session - Jan 2023

This online training session is free to attend!

Click here to register.

Note: all event times are in eastern (EST/EDT)

Join Brayden McNeill, Aquanty’s Technical Sales Leader, for a 3-4 hour introductory training session to cover essential HydroGeoSphere topics such as:

  1. The basic HGS workflow (i.e. using grok.exe, phgs.exe, hsplot.exe)

    1. Review of model input/output files

  2. The essential components of a *.grok file, how to structure your model inputs

  3. Using AlgoMesh to generate your model grids/mesh

  4. Visualizing results using TecPlot and/or ParaView

  5. Introduce various resources to help you learn to use HGS

    1. e.g. using the Reference Manual, HGS User Community, and other resources to your advantage.

Click here to register.

View Event →