CP-1994-04
Modeling atoll groundwater systems.
Peterson, Frank L., and Stephen B. Gingerich
With the application of high-speed computer modeling, we have begun to understand the details of hydrodynamic processes within atoll groundwater systems. One model used to simulate variable-density groundwater systems within atolls is SUTRA. The use of this model to evaluate several aspects of fresh groundwater lens dynamics and development on atoll islands is described. Two different atoll models were simulated. The first uses a generic atoll island with hydrogeologic parameters that are a composite of several typical atoll islands in the Pacific Basin to evaluate controls on the size and dynamics of the freshwater lens. The second models development and sustainable yield under various recharge conditions for Roi-Namur Island in Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands.