ParFlow Sandtank Model
Community education and engagement is a priority
Our project team develops free educational tools and resources to support a variety of users who want to learn and teach about hydrology, modeling and more! Please visit all of the Educational Tools pages to discover our collection of resources.
Groundwater plays an integral role in the hydrologic cycle
but is difficult to see, and therefore often misunderstood
or ignored. The
ParFlow Sandtank is an
online simulation tool that lets users interactively
simulate and visualize groundwater movement through a
virtual slice of the subsurface. Users can adjust
groundwater levels, change subsurface properties, pump
groundwater and add pollutants then watch the system
respond in real time.
ParFlow Sandtank in action
Physical aquifer models are a highly effective teaching tool, but come with inherent limitations. Our motivation for developing the ParFlow Sandtank was to create an educational tool that could be used to achieve the same instructional goals as the physical model, while reducing limitations and increasing accessibility. The ParFlow Sandtank has been used in a variety of educational settings with more than 32,000 users to date.
>32,000
Users to date
Templates
The ParFlow Sandtank allows users to develop customized templates in addition to the available default template by adjusting input files or developing new ones. Features such as topography, well placements, initial conditions, subsurface configuration and various visual components may be altered. Detailed instructions on how to develop and contribute templates can be found on our GitHub. Examples of these customized templates can be found below.
Agrosystem Template
This is an advanced ParFlow Sandtank template with enhanced capabilities to explore topics like climate change and sustainable agriculture practices.
Developed by Sara Cerasoli, Princeton University
Hillslope Template
The hillslope template is a variation of the ParFlow Sandtank model that allows users to explore subsurface hydrology using a simplified hillslope model.
Developed by Abe Farley, University of Arizona
Tucson-TCE Template
This is a location-specific template that models subsurface conditions in Tucson, AZ. Users can model real environmental scenarios that impact Tucson’s groundwater supply.
Developed by Abe Farley, University of Arizona
Resources
Please explore the available resources below and check back regularly for new additions!
Citations
- Condon, LE, A Farley, S Jourdain, P O’leary, P Avery, L Gallagher, C Chennault, RM Maxwell (2023). ParFlow Sand Tank: A tool for groundwater exploration. Journal of Open Source Education. 6(61), 179.
- Gallagher, LK, AJ Farley, C Chennault, S Cerasoli, S Jourdain, P O’Leary, LE Condon & RM Maxwell (2022). The ParFlow Sandtank: An Interactive educational tool making invisible groundwater visible. Frontiers in Water. 4.
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