Groundwater modelling and 3D visualisation of Holmedal well field, Western Norway

The project aims at establishing research cooperation between, France and Norway in the field of modelling groundwater flow in fractured rocks. The research partners are the Université Pierre et Marie Curie Laboratoire Sisyphe (UPMC-Sisyphe) in Paris and the Geological Survey of Norway (NGU) in Trondheim. In addition the Norwegian University of Science and Technology is interested in participating in the project. The groundwater modelling will be based on fracture data from borehole logs and surface mapp ing. Together with the results from earlier tracer tests and pumping tests carried out during the Holmedal project at NGU, the modelling results will give a better understanding of the groundwater flow in the well field. The groundwater modelling will tak e place at the UPMC-Sisyphe. NGU has been using a digital 3-dimensional visualization tool named GSI3D, developed by the British Geological Survey (BGS). A Norwegian student will together with Sylvi Gaut as a junior researcher, do visualisation of the w ell field using the GSI3D. The visualisation will include both data from the groundwater modelling and earlier data. By including a Norwegian university, the project will broaden the collaboration between the two countries. Contact between UPMC-Sisyphe and NGU has been established during the Marie Curie initial training network IMVUL, however the two partners are not familiar with each other. To establish a common project, meetings are necessary, especially when the plan is to involve a third partner fr om a Norwegian University unknown to UPMC-Sisyphe. It is also a challenge for the French partner to obtain an understanding of Norwegian hard-rock geology and landscapes to be able to construct a realistic groundwater flow model. A joint visit to Holmed al in Sunnfjord is therefore of great importance for the preparation of a common project proposal.