FloPy Workflows for Creating Structured and Unstructured MODFLOW Models

• Published in: Ground water Vol. 62; no. 1; pp. 124 - 139
• Main Authors: Hughes, Joseph D., Langevin, Christian D., Paulinski, Scott R., Larsen, Joshua D., Brakenhoff, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, US Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2024; Ground Water Publishing Company
• Subjects: computer software; data collection; Discretization; Groundwater; Groundwater flow; hydrologic models; raster data; shapefile; Unstructured grids (mathematics); Watersheds
• ISSN: 0017-467X; 1745-6584; 1745-6584
• DOI: 10.1111/gwat.13327

FloPy is a Python package for creating, running, and post‐processing MODFLOW‐based groundwater flow and transport models. FloPy functionality has expanded to support the latest version of MODFLOW (MODFLOW 6) including support for unstructured grids. FloPy can simplify the process required to download MODFLOW‐based and other executables for Linux, MacOS, and Windows operating systems. Expanded FloPy capabilities include (1) full support for structured and unstructured spatial discretizations; (2) geoprocessing of spatial features and raster data to develop model input for supported discretization types; (3) the addition of functionality to provide direct access to simulated output data; (4) extension of plotting capabilities to unstructured MODFLOW 6 discretization types; and (5) the ability to export model data to shapefiles, NetCDF, and VTK formats for processing, analysis, and visualization by other software products. Examples of using expanded FloPy capabilities are presented for a hypothetical watershed. An unstructured groundwater flow and transport model, with several advanced stress packages, is presented to demonstrate how FloPy can be used to develop complicated unstructured model datasets from original source data (shapefiles and rasters), post‐process model results, and plot simulated results.