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Abstract:
The objective of this study is to analyze the influence of groundwater pumping on predicted groundwater circulation below the urban center of Berlin, Germany, by 3-D numerical models. Of particular interest are hydraulic head distributions, the related shallow-deep groundwater interactions and their scale dependency within an anthropogenically overprinted environment. For this purpose, two model scenarios are investigated. In the first model realization (Model 1), the effects of groundwater pumping are implemented by imposing a fixed, though spatially variable, hydraulic head distribution over the whole model area, therefore implicitly taking into account the effects of pumping activities. In the second model realization (Model 2), these effects are considered in an explicit manner by imposing variable production rates in locations where pumping activities are ongoing.
The results of this study show, that both models predict similar hydraulic head distributions on the regional scale (i.e. urban wide). Locally, differences in the extent, volume and depth of emerging depression cones can be observed. This is manifested in differences in predicted fluid flow patterns supporting or refuting the possibility of contaminant transport in an area of importance for groundwater production (Lower Havel). Herein, the second model approach outlines the necessity of implementing wells as an active parameter to reproduce observed fluid pathways.
