Calculation of hydraulic conductivity from a lithological study in the Aguascalientes Valley, Mexico and comparison of the performance of the underground model with its use

Abstract

In this work, two groundwater MODFLOW models of the Aguascalientes Valley aquifer in Mexico, one using equivalent hydraulic conductivities (Kh) based on lithologic reports, and another using assumed Kh, are compared. The models were configured and calibrated, and the model performance evaluation statistics were obtained for each simulation and compared. A visual comparison of head levels in the aquifer was carried out as well. The global performance of the model using equivalent Kh was better than the model using assumed Kh, both in the spatial distribution of flows and in the evaluation statistics; therefore, investing previous work in determining parameters results in more robust models.