Modelling is one of the most powerful tools that we have at our disposal. It is also one of our industry’s most misused tools.
Modelling is often done as a substitute for thinking, or for gathering data. Governments sometimes spend large amounts of money on expensive modelling just to show the public that they care. Consultants often build models instead of coming up with answers, or showing with simple calculations that answers are not possible. The workflow “Model first and think later” is not likely to work.
In this series of seminars, we will talk about how to get the most out of groundwater modelling. However, this question only makes sense if it is applied to real-world problems. We want you to supply the problems.
So tell us about a problem that you, or your colleagues, are facing. Tell us what data you’ve got. Think aloud about possible solutions to the problem.
Then, based on what you tell us, we will talk about your problem and see where the conversation ends up. We’ll ask ourselves questions such as these:
- Can modelling help? If so, how can it help?
- What risks are incurred by this management option or that management option? What can go wrong?
- Can model-based processing of available data lower these risks?
- How complex should a model be to do this?
Hydrogeologists and modellers are invited to bring us their problems. This will give the rest of us an opportunity to learn. By telling us about your problem in clear terms, you will learn too. It is amazing how often solutions to complex problems suggest themselves when we collect our thoughts enough to describe them to others.
The moderators of the meetings will do their best to come up with some good ideas. Other participants may come up with better ideas. Perhaps none of us will find a clever way of using modelling to address your problem. But we will all get some much-needed practice in thinking about how best to use this powerful tool to solve a real-world problem. This is important.
Like any other tool, modelling can only help us if we use it the right way.
