2.5 Day Shortcourse (September 22-24, 2008)

Building and Applying Analytical Element Models
with Examples and Exercises using Python

The Analytic Element Method has proven to be an exceedingly useful tool in solving groundwater problems. In the current environment of models with unprecedented complexity, analytic element models are often refreshingly easy to understand and insightful, which is appreciated by both clients and modelers. Believe it or not, the best approach to learn the analytic element method is to implement it yourself in a computer program. Although this may sound like a daunting task, it is within everybody's reach using the programming language Python. Python is a flexible and easy-to-learn computer language, and if you have a basic understanding of the building blocks of a computer program, such as if-statements and loops, you will be able to build your own analytic element model, including interactive graphics. And you will have a great time doing it! Through the approach of "learning by doing", the analytic element method is taught while you write your own computer program. Several practical examples will be given to demonstrate the use of the analytic element method in practice.

Example Python code

Example output from Simple AEM Model

Course outline

Day 1

Basic principles of the analytic element method.
Superposition of wells and uniform flow.
Basic principles of Python, object-oriented programming, graphics.

At the end of the day you will have built your own computer program that can simulate flow to an arbitrary number of wells with either a specified flux or a specified drawdown. Other flow components include uniform flow and areal recharge.

Day 2

Line elements.
Line-sinks for modeling streams.
Line-doublets for modeling in homogeneities.
Transient analytic elements for periodic flow.

At the end of the day you will have extended your own computer program to included line-sinks. Some will add inhomogeneities to their own program, others will use existing code. Transient flow will be explored using transient wells and analytic elements for periodic flow.

Day 2.5

Analytic elements for multi-aquifer flow.
Explanation of the open-source TimML program including exercises of multi-aquifer flow problems including three-dimensional path lines.

Who Should Attend

Groundwater practitioners and scientists interested in learning the analytic element method and the Python programming language. Only a reasonable background in groundwater modeling and a healthy interest in tinkering with computer programs is required. You will learn both the ins and outs of the Analytic Element Method for groundwater modeling and you will acquire programming skills in Python, which will serve you for your entire career, irrespective of which model you are using.

The Instructor

The course is taught by Dr. Mark Bakker. Mark has taught for 10 years at American Universities before he returned to his home country of The Netherlands, where he teaches at the Delft University of Technology. In addition, he works part time at Kiwa Water Research, the research institute of the Dutch water supply companies, and is an Associate at WHPA in Bloomington, IN.

Mark received his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota under the guidance of Prof. Otto Strack, the originator of the analytic element method. Mark has written a number of analytic element programs, of which TimML, the free, open-source analytic element model for steady multi-aquifer flow is the most extensive. Mark has taught workshops in Python for Hydrologists and used Python in his Computational Methods class at the University of Georgia, where students were programming in Python after a basic 2 hour lecture.

Short Course Pricing (prices assume laptop provided by attendee)

	Full Fees	Early Registration Fees
Professional	$900	$810
Student	$810	$680

Registration and Other Information

Course size is limited to 12 participants. If the course fills up, a waiting list will be established. Registration for the course is available through secure PayPal links below.

Course Location

The course will be held at the Bethesda offices of SS Papadopulos & Associates. A block of rooms will be arranged at a nearby hotel for course participants – details will be provided on this web page soon. The course will commence Monday, September 22nd at 9:00 am and will be completed by Wednesday, September 24th at 1:00 pm.