Over 90% of drinking water in Florida comes from aquifers, emphasizing a need for understanding of groundwater hydrology. This area of engineering focuses on how groundwater moves and flows through aquifers and the quality of the water.
Land use transitions to urbanization can influence hydrologic responses in streams, lakes, wetlands and groundwater, and can result in reduced flow of water into groundwater and lowering of groundwater levels. To gain a better understanding of the relationship between land and water, Professor Dingbao Wang is working with Tampa Bay Water to improve its Integrated Hydrologic Model (IHM).
This model, developed in the 1980s, simulates processes of the hydrologic cycle.
“Our research is intended to improve this model,” Wang says. “The purpose is to provide a flexible tool that can be used for planning, operations, management and regulatory needs.”
Controlling factors such as rainfall, temperature, land use, demand, and hydrologic characteristics all play a part in the IHM planning and prediction process. To improve the model from multiple perspectives, with a long-term goal, there are four components: input data, simulation engine code, conceptualization of the physical hydrologic system and calibration targets. The most recent iteration of the model was developed this past year, and it continues to improve due to new technology and updated data sources.
Assisting Wang with this work is a postdoctoral researcher from his lab, the Hydrology Group, and two doctoral students who are funded by Tampa Bay Water. Wang has worked with Tampa Bay Water over the past several years for multiple projects involving land use change and future planning purposes.
“This research is very important in Florida,” Wang says. “The surface water and groundwater in Florida are so tightly coupled because of the shallow water table environment.”
- Written by Sydney Ford