You have entered the website of the Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific (WERI) at the University of Guam. We are currently six faculty and five staff and our mission is to seek solutions through research, teaching and outreach programs, to issues and problems associated with the location, production, distribution and management of freshwater resources in Guam, the CNMI and the FSM.
A two-dimensional (areal) finite element model of saltwater intrusion was modified so that it can run on a microcomputer. The model assumes a sharp interface between fresh and salt water and simulates the movement of both fresh and salt water. A preprocessor is provided to remember the nodes of a given network so as to reduce the bandwidth of the matrix. Linear triangular elements are used to discretize the domain. The model was applied to the Northern Guam aquifer. The hydraulic conductivity in three regions of the aquifer was calibrated using the water level history in a few observation wells. Field data on the depth of the interface indicate the sharp interface assumption is valid in the major portion of the aquifer. Comparison of the depth measured 50% isochlor with the computed depth of the interface shows that the two are equal in most locations. In some cases, the computed depth is less than the measured depth, resulting in a conservative estimate of the interface depth.
