Publications

Pilot points for parameter estimation were creatively used to address heterogeneity at both the well field and regional scales in a variable-density groundwater flow and solute transport model designed to test multiple hypotheses for upward migration of fresh effluent injected into a highly transmissive saline carbonate aquifer. Two sets of pilot points were used within in multiple model layers, w

Water diverted from streams and pumped from wells constitutes the main sources of water for the 78 municipios of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. A better understanding is needed about water-use patterns, particularly about the amount of water used, where and how this water is used and disposed, and how human activities impact water resources. Irrigation practices, indoor and outdoor household use

Weather conditions produced by Tropical Storm Fay from August 15 through September 26, 2008, caused historic flooding, spawned 19 tornadoes, inflicted $390 million in damages, and contributed to five deaths in Florida. This slow-moving system made four separate landfalls accompanied by extensive rainfall and some wind-induced effects. Major flooding with new period-of-record instantaneous peaks an

SEAWAT is a combined version of MODFLOW and MT3DMS, designed to simulate three-dimensional, variable-density, saturated groundwater flow. The most recent version of the SEAWAT program, SEAWAT Version 4 (or SEAWAT_V4), supports equations of state for fluid density and viscosity. In SEAWAT_V4, fluid density can be calculated as a function of one or more MT3DMS species, and optionally, fluid pressure

Sea‐level rise and changes in precipitation patterns may contribute to the occurrence and affect the rate of saltwater contamination in the Hilton Head Island, South Carolina area. To address the effects of climate change on saltwater intrusion, a threedimensional, finite‐element, variable‐density, solute‐transport model was developed to simulate different rates of sea‐level rise and variation in

The global dispersion of desert dust through Earth’s atmosphere is greatly influenced by temperature. Temporal analyses of ice core data have demonstrated that enhanced dust dispersion occurs during glacial events. This is due to an increase in ice cover, which results in an increase in drier terrestrial cover. A shorter temporal analysis of dust dispersion data over the last 40 years has demonstr

Calibration of highly‐parameterized numerical models typically requires explicit Tikhonovtype regularization to stabilize the inversion process. This regularization can take the form of a preferred parameter values scheme or preferred relations between parameters, such as the preferred equality scheme. The resulting parameter distributions calibrate the model to a user‐defined acceptable level of

A synthetic two‐dimensional model of a horizontally and vertically heterogeneous confined coastal aquifer system, based on the Upper Floridan aquifer in south Florida, USA, subjected to constant recharge and a complex tidal signal was used to generate 15‐minute water‐level data at select locations over a 7‐day simulation period.   “Observed” water‐level data were generated by adding noise, represe

Laguna Grande is a 50-hectare lagoon in the municipio of Fajardo, located in the northeasternmost part of Puerto Rico. Hydrologic, water-quality, and biological data were collected in the lagoon between March 2007 and February 2009 to establish baseline conditions and determine the health of Laguna Grande on the basis of preestablished standards. In addition, a core of bottom material was obtained

The Real Time Flood Alert System is a web-based computer program, developed as a data integration tool, and designed to increase the ability of emergency managers to rapidly and accurately predict flooding conditions of streams in Puerto Rico. The system includes software and a relational database to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall, water levels in streams and reservoir

A model with a small amount of numerical dispersion was used to represent saltwater 7 intrusion in a homogeneous aquifer for a 10-year historical calibration period with one 8 groundwater withdrawal location followed by a 10-year prediction period with two groundwater 9 withdrawal locations. Time-varying groundwater concentrations at arbitrary locations in this low-10 dispersion model were then us

Numerical modeling is needed to predict environmental temperatures, which affect a number of biota in southern Florida, U.S.A., such as the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), which uses thermal basins for refuge from lethal winter cold fronts. To numerically simulate heat-transport through a dynamic coastal wetland region, an algorithm was developed for the FTLOADDS coupled hydrodynamic sur