MIKE by DHI UK and Ireland Blog

Unfortunately, due to time commitments, Zeinab is unable to attend the UGM and present her work in person. However, she has given us permission to distribute the abstract below. The full paper can be downloaded from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2014.02.006

An integrated catchment-coastal modelling system for real-time water quality forecasts

Zeinab Bedri 1*, Aisling Corkery 1, John J. O’Sullivan 1, Marcos X. Alvarez 2, Anders Chr. Erichsen 3, Louise A. Deering 4, Katalin Demeter 4, Gregory O'Hare 3, Wim G.Meijer 4, and Bartholomew Masterson 4

1 Centre for Water Resources Research, School of Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
2 Clarity Centre, UCD School of Computer Science and Informatics, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
3 DHI, Agern Alle 5, DK-2970 Hørsholm, Denmark
4 School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
* Corresponding author: Tel. +353 1 716 3228, Fax: +353 1 7163297, E-mail: zeinab.bedri@ucd.ie

Abstract

This paper presents a new marine water quality forecasting system for real-time and short-term predictions. The forecasting system comprises an integrated catchment-coastal model and a database management system. The integrated model is validated in an Irish catchment-coastal system using hydrodynamic and water quality data. The forecasting system was then used to provide short-term and real-time forecasts of Escherichia Coli (E. coli) and Intestinal Enterococci concentrations (IE) in the near-shore coastal waters of Bray, Ireland. Two hind-cast scenarios were simulated: 5F in which predictions were based on rainfall forecasts only; and I-5F where forecasts of 5F were improved by incorporating real-time data. Results indicate that predictions of E. coli of scenario I-5F are improved. Also predicted IE concentrations by Scenario 5F were comparably higher than the I-5F predications, but due to the wide scatter of observed IE concentrations, the superiority of one scenario over the second could not be definitively determined.

Keywords: Real-time forecasts; integrated model; marine water quality; three-dimensional hydrodynamics; MIKE; catchment modelling


Acknowledgements

The work has been funded by an INTERREG 4A (Ireland and Wales) project. Technical support on the use of the model was provided by DHI (UK and Denmark). Thanks are extended to Dr Ahmed Nasr, Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) for his help and useful discussions and to Mr Garrett Keane, DIT, for the assistance in the calibration of the tidal constituents of the MIKE Global model. The authors wish to acknowledge the help and information provided by Irish EPA, Bray Town council, Wicklow County council and the staff of Shanganagh Treatment works.

Article in press: Bedri, Z., et al., An integrated catchment-coastal modelling system for real-time water quality forecasts, Environmental Modelling & Software (2014), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2014.02.006

#GDC12 Jim Van Verth: Fluids Techniques
Fluid Techniques - Jim Van Verth (Senior Engine Programmer, Insomniac Games)
Game Developers Conference 2012
5th - 9th March 2012
San Francisco, CA

This talk was part of the all-day Physics for Game Programmers tutorial. In it was discussed three different methods for handling fluids in games. First, the Navier-Stokes equations for fluid dynamics were presented and broken down into its component parts. Read more >>> (remember to click on 'GDC2012_JMV_Fluids.pdf' at the end of the post!).

2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium:
Knowledge sharing for water and environmental professionals
Website: http://www.dhi-uk.info/ugm
Date: 13th to 14th May 2014
Venue: Coombe Abbey Hotel, Warwickshire, UK
Cost: Free event
Registration: http://www.mikebydhi.com/GlobalEvents/UKUGM2014.aspx

There is now only one week before the 2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium (including the User Group Meeting), and it promises to be a well-supported event again this year.

The programme is almost complete and the latest version can be viewed here. We are very excited to be adding Clifford Williams (Environment Agency) to the list of speakers. Clifford has kindly agreed to give a talk on 'Real Time Flood Forecasting in the Environment Agency'. Read more >>>

We have now finalised our training plan for the second day, and would encourage you all to take full advantage of these free sessions. Highlights include: -

• Wave transformation, overtopping of coastal defences & flooding (MIKE 21 BW 1D & MIKE 21 FMHD)
• Fully integrated riverine, urban pipe & overland flow flood modelling (MIKE FLOOD 3-way coupling)
• Step-by-step guide on creating an unstructured grid groundwater model (FEFLOW). Read more >>>
• Technical briefing on innovative forecasting technologies (MIKE CUSTOMISED)

Please view the programme here for full details.

To celebrate our 50th Anniversary, there are also several special offers ranging from additional free training, to free or discounted software for all those who attend the event.

Online booking is available here, so don’t miss out, make your booking now!


If you would like more information about the event please contact: -

• Steve Flood on 01752 691723 or sjf@dhigroup.com
• Suzie Clarke on 02476 462188 or scl@dhigroup.com

We very much hope to see you at what will undoubtedly be a very interesting and informative event.

The UK Team

FEFLOW Essentials

With our new FEFLOW Essentials package, you can take advantage of FEFLOW’s effective concepts, tools and workflows for your everyday projects at an attractive price.

FEFLOW Essentials provides all FEFLOW functionality for: regional groundwater modeling in 2D and 3D, single-species solute transport with sorption and 1st order reaction, heat transport in groundwater and porous media, and groundwater age, lifetime expectancy and exit probability computation. Read more >>>


Celebrate the launch of FEFLOW Essentials with a FREE training course at the 2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium!
Date: 14th May 2014
Venue: Coombe Abbey Hotel, Warwickshire, UK

Learn how to set up a steady state groundwater model from scratch using new functionality in FEFLOW 6.2. Set up a transient flow model; varying the boundary conditions and material parameters. Learn how to add mass transport to the model. Evaluate the model, display results and more…

To sign up please call 01752 691723 or visit www.dhi-uk.info/ugm

WEST - Introduction to the modelling of wastewater treatment plants
Date: 17th - 18th June 2014
Location: Denmark
Language: English

This two-day course gives you an overview of the aspects to be addressed when working with modelling biological wastewater treatment plants. Training in the WEST wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) modelling simulator is included.

Click here to sign up for the training course!

Latest presentations confirmed for the MIKE by DHI Symposium on 13th May 2014

Clifford Williams (Modelling and Forecasting, Environment Agency) has kindly agreed to give a talk on 'Real Time Flood Forecasting in the Environment Agency'. In the context of the recent winter floods and storm surges, the presentation will focus upon flood forecasting systems used by the Environment Agency, how the Environment Agency interfaces with the Met Office, the hydraulic models used by the Environment Agency (incl. MIKE 11) and how the service is delivered (e.g. to Flood Resilience Teams).

Since 2002 DHI has operated an early warning system for bathing water quality. It all began in Copenhagen when the harbour bath was a reality, but since then the forecast system has spread to a number of Danish and Swedish municipalities and most recently a New Zealand municipality has also initiated a similar system. The advantages of the bathing water system are manifold: 1) It complies with the EU bathing water directive, 2) it protects the public from getting exposed to sewage water and 3) it allows the municipalities to proactively monitor and manage the bathing waters.

Adam Leonard-Williams (Senior Metocean Scientist, Met Office) will also be giving a presentation on 'Just how severe was the 2013/14 winter and how did the Met Office wave model perform?'. These topical presentations will be followed up within the training sessions on the second day of the conference by seminar style briefings on our own innovative forecasting technologies: -

• Introduction to MIKE CUSTOMISED Real Time – monitoring, flood forecasting, early warning and efficient operational controls for urban and riverine environments – comprising a live demonstration of the technology, selected relevant case studies and Q&A session.

• Introduction to a MIKE CUSTOMISED Bathing Water Forecasting System, for example http://ostjylland.badevand.dk/ (in Danish but self-explanatory!). The presentation will introduce the bathing water forecast system and the data / models needed to build a similar system. It will be followed by Q&A session.

There is still time to register for this free event! Please visit the Symposium website at http://www.dhi-uk.info/ugm or register now at http://www.mikebydhi.com/GlobalEvents/UKUGM2014.aspx

The world's water consumption rate is doubling every 20 years — twice as fast as the population growth rate. By 2025, water demand will exceed supply by 56%.

The critical need for water to sustain all aspects of human activity has driven us to inhabit floodplains and deltas close to rivers. Today, 82% of the global population lives in these areas and is exposed to a high risk of flooding.

We constantly strive to develop a robust understanding of the physical water environment as a precursor to any analyses influencing decision-making. Applying state-of-the-art modelling technologies and analytics ensures that we achieve this. We work closely with our clients and stakeholders to appreciate the water management issues that may affect their project outcomes. In so doing, we develop solutions that are appropriate, cost-effective and environmentally responsible.

Read our Newsletter to find out more about the work we have done in the field of 'Surface and groundwater' through few of our highlighted stories. If you have any questions or would like to know more, feel free to drop us a line. Read more >>>

2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium:
Knowledge sharing for water and environmental professionals
Website: http://www.dhi-uk.info/ugm
Date: 13th to 14th May 2014
Venue: Coombe Abbey Hotel, Warwickshire, UK
Cost: Free event (excepting accommodation costs - see below)
Registration: http://www.mikebydhi.com/GlobalEvents/UKUGM2014.aspx

There are now only two weeks before the 2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium, and it promises to be a well-supported event again this year.

The Symposium is a free-of-charge knowledge sharing event for water and environmental professionals comprising both conference-style presentations (during the User Group Meeting on the first day) and workshop-style training sessions.

The programme is being finalised and the latest version can be viewed here.

As a flood professional, you may be interested in talks on 'Modelling Extreme Water Levels in the Swan and Canning Rivers in Perth, WA', 'Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Studies in Ireland' and 'The CORFU Flood Damage Assessment Toolbox'. The training on the second day will include the setup and review of fully integrated riverine, urban pipe & overland flow flood models.

If you work within the coastal or marine environment, you may find talks on 'Using MIKE 21 for the Estimation of Japan Typhoon Risk', 'How Severe was the 2013/14 Winter, and How Did the Met Office Wave Model Perform?' and 'Water Level and Tidal Current Calibrations in Ramsey Bay' interesting. Training on the following day includes guidance on wave transformation, overtopping of coastal defences and associated flood inundation.

Other presentations and training sessions will cover diverse topics including water quality and groundwater behaviour.

To celebrate our 50th Anniversary, there are also several special offers ranging from additional free training, to free or discounted software for all those who attend the event. You may find the offer of a free 'Natural Flood Management Workshop' with complimentary MIKE SHE 'Pilot Project' licence of particular interest.

For up-to-date information, including a full agenda, please visit the event website at http://www.dhi-uk.info/ugm. Online booking is now available at http://www.mikebydhi.com/GlobalEvents/UKUGM2014.aspx, so don’t miss out, make your booking now!

As usual, our Symposium is free of charge and participants will receive lunch and refreshments on both days. Overnight accommodation is available at the venue for a special rate of £94.50 per person per night, including evening meal and breakfast.

If you would like more information about the content of the event please visit http://www.dhi-uk.info/ugm or contact:

• Steve Flood on 01752 691723 or sjf@dhigroup.com
• Suzie Clarke on 02476 462188 or scl@dhigroup.com

We very much hope to see you at what will undoubtedly be a very interesting and informative event.

The UK Team

We win a high-profile bird collision avoidance study in the United Kingdom

In collaboration with NIRAS and BirdLife Denmark, we’ve been awarded a high-profile research project focusing on the collision risks of birds at offshore wind farm.

Part of the Offshore Renewables Joint Industry Programme (ORJIP), this technically challenging project will quantify and interpret avoidance behaviour of key marine bird species. The results of the study will be used to obtain a more realistic estimate of bird collisions with offshore wind farms. Read more >>>

Additional project information

• Bird collision avoidance study

Providing the modelling software for a project using drones to analyse coastal erosion

We are a partner on the Innovative Methodologies for Coastal Environmental Monitoring and Analysis (MIRAMar) project in Italy. Researches will use our MIKE by DHI software for the modelling portion of the study.

The MIRAMar project is examining new ways to survey, monitor and analyse the effects of strong wind and waves on shorelines using small, remote-controlled, camera-equipped drones. A team of scientists, including Alessio Rovere (Junior Research Group Leader, the Centre of Marine Environmental Sciences and the Centre for Tropical Marine Ecology, University of Bremen) and Elisa Casella (Environmental Engineer, University of Genoa, Italy) are working on the project. Read more >>>

Additional project information

• MIRAMar project website

Evaluating the future impact of land-use and development policies for the Elbow River Watershed

We helped Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) and the University of Calgary develop an integrated dynamic modelling system for the Elbow River watershed.

This system will help stakeholders understand the potential impact of land-use changes and climate change scenarios on the Elbow River Watershed’s hydrological processes. Read more >>>

Additional project information

• Case story

Conducting a flooding study for Jaslovske Bohunice Nuclear Power Plant in Slovakia

We helped Jaslovske Bohunice Nuclear Power Plant ensure it has adequate flood prevention measures in place in the event of extreme rainfall.

The tsunami that severely damaged Japan’s Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant on 11 March 2011 highlighted the global concern for ensuring the safety of nuclear power plants. After the tsunami, crisis managers in the nuclear energy sector started to prepare and upgrade risk studies, taking all possible sources of risk into account. Read more >>>

Pushing the Boundaries – New Issues and Applications in Groundwater Modelling
Date: 13 May 2014
Event type: Conference
Organised by: Groundwater Modeller’s Forum, Hydrogeological Group
Venue: Birmingham

The UK Groundwater Modellers’ Forum is holding its 12th workshop on new issues and applications in groundwater modelling in the UK. Read more >>>

DHI will be presenting at the above Groundwater Modellers' Forum event on the 13th May 2014. Roberta-Serena Blasone (DHI) will give a talk on 'Coupling groundwater and ecological models (MIKE SHE & ECO Lab)' at the conference, focussing upon: -

• Two of the key objectives of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) are: 1) to protect and enhance the status of aquatic ecosystems (and terrestrial ecosystems and wetlands directly dependent on aquatic ecosystems) and 2) to provide for sufficient supply of good quality surface water and groundwater as needed for sustainable, balanced and equitable water use. These requirements, together with the growing acceptance of the integrated water resource management approaches that treat catchment management holistically, provide a strong motivation to develop integrated hydrological and water quality tools that can address problems related to ecological status and restoration. In particular, managers need to be able to quantify changes in ecosystem status caused by changes in catchment management. A new and powerful eco-hydrological modelling tool has been developed, combining a generic ecological modelling tool (ECO Lab) with a fully integrated catchment modelling tool representing surface water, soil- and groundwater as well as water quality processes (MIKE SHE). This paper will present applications of this new tool to case studies involving wetland ecosystems in Denmark and the US.

If you are attending the above event, you are most welcome to participate in the free 'Groundwater Modelling with FEFLOW' training course on the following day (14th May) at our User Group Meeting venue (easily accessible from Birmingham). Read more >>>

2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium
Date: 13th to 14th May 2014
Venue: Coombe Abbey Hotel, Warwickshire, UK
Cost: Free event (excepting accommodation costs - see below)
Registration: http://www.mikebydhi.com/GlobalEvents/UKUGM2014.aspx



To download and distribute the latest 2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium flyer please click here: -

MIKE by DHI 2014 Service Pack 1 is available

Service Pack 1 for Release 2014 is now available for download. Please see the updated release notes for information about the corrections and improvements in Service Pack 1. If you have questions about MIKE by DHI 2014 or the latest Service Pack, please do not hesitate to contact mikebydhi.uk@dhigroup.com

To download Release 2014 Service Pack 1 please click below: -

2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium
Date: 13th to 14th May 2014
Venue: Coombe Abbey Hotel, Warwickshire, UK
Cost: Free event (excepting accommodation costs - see below)
Registration: http://www.mikebydhi.com/GlobalEvents/UKUGM2014.aspx

We are now very close to finalising the agenda for the 2014 MIKE by DHI UK Symposium (see below). This event hosts our annual User Group Meeting as well as a free-of-charge Training Day. For the latter, we are aiming to provide discussion led, seminar style training sessions in a diverse range of subjects including: -

• Wave transformation, overtopping of coastal defences and flooding (MIKE 21 BW 1D & MIKE 21 FMHD)
• Fully integrated riverine, urban pipe & overland flow flood modelling (MIKE FLOOD 3-way Coupling & Flexible Mesh)
• Introduction to FEFLOW

Discharge calculator for MIKE Zero 2014 64-bit

A simple extension to the standard MIKE 21 Discharge Calculation tool that adds support for multiple cross sections. The points defining the cross sections must be given as j,k (grid) coordinates, and written in a text file as follows: -

Example

! j1,k1 j2,k2 Name
50,50 55,55 firstCRS
50,75 55,80 secondCRS
55,80 60,85 thirdCRS
60,85 65,90 forthCRS
65,90 70,95 fifthCRS

For installation, you need to have MIKE Zero 2014 64-bit on your PC. It does not need to be located in any specific place, simply copy and unzip to any folder. We have also attached a template text file with j,k coordinates.


Notes: -

1. Care should be taken when using the tool with MIKE 11 Maps output (h,p,q) to calculate combined discharges for rivers and floodplains. If a 1D river channel is very nearly sub-grid (i.e. the MIKE 11 channel occupies only one MIKE 21 cell), the 2D resolution across the river may not be sufficiently fine to accurately calculate the topographic properties (e.g. local water depth), and hence the discharge component, of the river channel. In such cases you should run the tool on the MIKE 21 results (e.g. floodplain flows only) and add the calculated discharges to 1D discharges exported from MIKE 11 (e.g. from within MIKE View).
2. Generally, there is a high degree of uncertainty in providing combined discharges at river nodes; for example, the orientation of the cross section will vary the calculated discharge (flows will be different if the ‘cross sections’ are normal to either the river channel or valley itself), similarly integrating discrete points within the main river bed in 2D may deviate from the 1D discharge results at the same location, some floodplain configurations are not conducive to calculating a single combined flow rate, etc. As such, we would require that you undertake to verify the derived outputs to satisfy your own quality assurance procedures (as you would with any numerical modelling exercise).
3. Please be aware that this tool is non-commercial and is provided ‘as is’ without warranty. The tool has not been subjected to the same rigorous validation and improvement / update programme as our commercial software and, as such, is to be used at your own risk. The functionality and accuracy of the tool must be checked and verified prior to use.

ICE Flooding 2014
Sustainable Flood Risk Management for Communities and Infrastructure
13 May 2014 - London, UK

DHI will be at the ICE Flooding Conference 2014 in London on the 13th May 2014 and are very happy to extend an invitation to clients and partners (who are inexplicably unable to join us at our User Group Meeting that same day!), to discuss the newest developments in the market, and to share visions and ideas on future opportunities.

Dr Michael Butts (Head of Innovation, DHI) will give a talk on 'Integrating flood risk into catchment management' at the conference, touching upon: -

• Flood risk must be managed and planned both locally and at the catchment scale
• Illustrative cases where we have had to address fluvial, urban, groundwater and coastal flooding and their interplay
• Resolving the conflict between protecting infrastructure and the built environment and restoring riparian ecosystems
• To adapt effectively we need to move from flood forecasting to real-time catchment management

If you are attending ICE Flooding 2014, you are most welcome to attend one of several flood risk related training seminars on the following day (14th May) at our User Group Meeting venue (easily accessible from London). Read more >>>

Assessing The Impacts Of Rural Land Management Change On Flooding And Flood Risk (The Catchment Approach)

Following on from this post, a few more links focussing on the work of Jong-Sook Park for the Parrett catchment in SW England and its Tone subcatchment: -

• http://www.hydrology.org.uk/assets/2010%20papers/035Park_etal.pdf
• https://workspace.imperial.ac.uk/ewre/Public/McIntyre_36.pdf
• http://riverscience.wdfiles.com/local--files/workshop-programme/Park.pdf

Here a fully integrated MIKE SHE/MIKE 11 model was applied to the entire Parrett catchment to model the complex hydrological response of the catchment; 2D overland flows, groundwater components (both unsaturated zone and saturated groundwater zones), 1D river flows and their interactions.

Representation of vegetation growth in channels and floodplains

MIKE 11 has long been able to manipulate channel roughness (Manning's n) with a time series file. This can be very useful in modelling the effect of long term vegetation growth in unmaintained river channels, and to optimise river maintenance regimes. In fact, there are a number of ways to vary roughness during a MIKE 11 simulation: -

1) Resistance factor varies by time

Set as a boundary condition.

• Boundary description: Global or Distributed Source
• Boundary Type: Resistance factor

The time series file contains a multiplication factor which is applied to the defined channel roughness during the simulation (e.g. at each time step).

2) Resistance factor varies by a function of depth, velocity, both, etc

Set as a hydrodynamic parameter.

• Bed Resist. Toolbox
• Bed resistance equation: Not active, function of ln(velocity*Hydraulic Radius), function of depth, function of velocity or Table (Velocity, Resistance value)

All features (equations and table) can be defined both globally and locally, and for uniform or triple zone approaches.

Additionally, time varying roughness is also possible in MIKE 21 (e.g. for 2D flow on floodplains when using MIKE FLOOD). Please see the example below: -

Marine Renewable Energy



Dredging and Fine Sediments



Please note: The above videos are presented in a DRAFT form for information purposes only.

Wally's LEGO Wastewater Wonderland!



Wally Creates a Lego Wastewater Wonderland | TPO - Treatment Plant Operator Magazine