MODFLOW 6 on a Gmsh Catchment Mesh#

Note

This page and its static assets are auto-generated by python -m tools.doc_gallery. The Sphinx build only reads committed PNG and JSON artifacts.

This case keeps the standard process_simulation launcher while using mesh_catchment to build a triangular Gmsh mesh before MODFLOW 6. Only selected synthesis figures are committed to the gallery; the full solver workspace remains a reproducible run artifact.

See also

Read the Simulation walkthrough if you want the parameter mapping, a recommended reading order, and the first modifications to try.

Triptych showing topography, hydraulic head, and water-table depth on a Gmsh mesh
Solver-agnostic flow-state synthesis: topography, hydraulic head, and water-table depth on the same triangular mesh.
Cumulative recharge and discharge curves
Cumulative recharge and discharge curves from the same launcher run.
Runtime Gmsh support overview used by MODFLOW 6
Runtime support diagnostic showing mesh supports, stream support, boundary labels, and resolved wells.

Case Setup#

  • Static gallery manifest: the committed capability-gallery manifest records the published assets and their generation context.

  • Execution chain: geographic setup -> mesh_catchment -> runtime triangular mesh -> MODFLOW 6 flow -> MODFLOW 6 transport -> postprocess/display.

  • Only selected synthesis figures are republished into examples/projects/09_capability_gallery/; the full run workspace stays outside the doc tree.

What It Shows#

  • How MODFLOW 6 consumes the same runtime Gmsh mesh contract used by other solvers.

  • How the flow-state triptych relates topography, hydraulic head, and water-table depth.

  • How cumulative recharge and discharge can be inspected without committing a full run folder.

Key Parameters#

  • [simulation.time] step_value, start_datetime, and end_datetime define the time support of the run and the interpretation of the recharge chronology.

  • [data.recharge.sources] values, freq, and runoff_ratio control the synthetic forcing that drives the cumulative recharge/discharge figure.

  • [flow.param.K.field] and [flow.param.Sy.field] are the first groundwater parameters to modify when learning how heads and depths react.

  • [mesh_catchment.zone_meshing] global_size, min_size, and max_size in the shared base config change the mesh density and therefore the support overview.

  • [mesh_catchment] constraints_mode and the river/geology source sections decide which spatial structures are enforced in the runtime mesh.

  • [capability_gallery] assets only selects which figures are copied into the docs; it does not change the physics of the run.

How To Read It#

  • Start with the support overview to confirm which mesh, streams, and labels the solver actually consumed.

  • Read the flow-state triptych next: topography gives the structural context, hydraulic head shows the state variable, and water-table depth highlights near-surface response.

  • Use the cumulative recharge/discharge figure last to understand whether the forcing and drainage behaviour stay coherent over the chosen time window.

  • If one output looks surprising, first map it back to the config layer that controls it: forcing, mesh, or flow parameters.

Next Steps#

Reproduce#

Run the underlying example or validation case with:

python -m tools.doc_gallery

Refresh the committed gallery artifacts with:

python -m tools.doc_gallery

Source Pointers#

  • examples/projects/09_capability_gallery/README.md

  • examples/projects/09_capability_gallery/simulation_regression/modflow6_gmsh_mesh_catchment/manifest.json

  • hydromodpy/analysis/capability_gallery.py

Artifacts#

  • docs/source/_static/capability_gallery/simulation/modflow6_gmsh_flow_state_triptych.png

  • docs/source/_static/capability_gallery/simulation/modflow6_gmsh_recharge_discharge_cumulative.png

  • docs/source/_static/capability_gallery/simulation/modflow6_gmsh_support_overview.png

  • docs/source/_static/capability_gallery/simulation/modflow6_gmsh_mesh_catchment_summary.json stores the displayed metrics plus source hashes used by python -m tools.doc_gallery --check.