An object-oriented hierarchical patch dynamics paradigm (HPDP) for modeling complex groundwater systems across multiple-scales [An article from: Environmental Modelling and Software]

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Description:
In this paper, we present an object-oriented hierarchical patch dynamics paradigm (HPDP) for modeling complex groundwater systems across multiple-scales - one that has the potential to significantly alleviate the infamous ''curse-of-dimensionality'' and the associated computational bottlenecks. The HPDP takes advantage of hierarchy theory, divides and conquers complexities, and decouples scale-dependent dynamics hierarchically. The object-oriented HPDP represents a generalization of the ''telescopic-mesh-refinement'' (TMR) techniques, providing dynamic model coupling, visual interactive steering, and freeing the modelers from the impractical task of having to interact offline and iteratively with potentially large numbers of modeling patches. The HPDP provides a valuable tool for understanding scale-dependent processes and for practical groundwater investigations. We illustrate the effectiveness of the HPDP and its potential for multi-scale groundwater modeling using an example.