Related Concept Videos
Mechanisms of Heat Transfer II
Isothermal Processes
An ideal gas can also undergo isothermal expansion or compression.
For example, consider 1 mole of an ideal gas inside an isolated cylinder at initial volume V...
Mechanisms of Heat Transfer
Conduction, accounting for approximately 3% of body heat loss at rest, is the process of exchanging heat between molecules of two materials in direct contact. This can result in both heat loss and gain. For instance, when the body is submerged in water, which conducts heat 20 times more effectively than air, it can either lose or gain significant...
Heat Flow and Specific Heat
Mechanisms of Heat Transfer I
Magnetostatic Boundary Conditions
You might also read
Related Articles
Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.
A New Groundwater Energy Transport Model for the MODFLOW Hydrologic Simulator.
Use of the MODFLOW 6 Water Mover Package to Represent Natural and Managed Hydrologic Connections.
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 28, 2025

Simulation of Early Earth Hydrothermal Chimneys in a Thermal Gradient Environment
Published on: February 27, 2021
New Capabilities in MT3D-USGS for Simulating Unsaturated-Zone Heat Transport.
Eric D Morway, Daniel T Feinstein1, Randall J Hunt2
1U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Milwaukee Office, 3209 North Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI.
New simulation capabilities for the MT3D-USGS model now include unsaturated zone heat transport. This advancement enhances watershed-scale modeling for predicting groundwater temperature changes and their ecosystem impacts.
More Related Videos
07:58Data Processing Methods for 3D Seismic Imaging of Subsurface Volcanoes: Applications to the Tarim Flood Basalt
Published on: August 7, 2017
07:40A Gusseted Thermogradient Table to Control Soil Temperatures for Evaluating Plant Growth and Monitoring Soil Processes
Published on: October 22, 2016
Area of Science:
- Hydrology
- Environmental Science
- Geophysics
Background:
- Climate and land use changes impact groundwater heat transport dynamics.
- These alterations affect watershed processes, nutrient cycling, and cold-water habitats.
- Understanding groundwater thermal impacts is crucial for predicting ecosystem changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce new unsaturated zone heat transport simulation capabilities into the MT3D-USGS model.
- To enhance watershed-scale modeling for groundwater thermal dynamics.
- To support forecasting impacts on groundwater-linked ecosystems.
Main Methods:
- Added unsaturated zone heat transport functionality to the MT3D-USGS simulator.
- Verified new capabilities by comparing results with the VS2DH simulator.
- Evaluated convective and conductive heat flow under steady and transient conditions.
Main Results:
- Successfully simulated heat transport through the unsaturated zone.
- Verified simulation accuracy against a benchmark model (VS2DH).
- Demonstrated the importance of unsaturated zone processes in heat transport.
Conclusions:
- The enhanced MT3D-USGS model provides crucial capabilities for watershed-scale simulations.
- Accurate characterization of groundwater temperature changes is now more feasible.
- Improved modeling supports better management of thermally sensitive ecosystems.