Groundwater levels of boreholes in bedrock vs modeling results

Research Project, 2021 – 2024

Groundwater modeling in crystalline rock is common in infrastructure projects, mining, quarrying and in the case of underground waste storage projects, such as nuclear waste storage. For model
calibration, levels from open boreholes are most often used, but in the numerical models the boreholes are rarely described as open holes and thus it becomes difficult to make direct comparisons
between observations and model results. In permitting processes, it is very common for models to be criticized for not exactly matching what is observed in boreholes in-situ. There is thus a need to
develop an understanding of first, what a pressure measurement in an open borehole represents, and second, what a numerical model produces in terms of pressure levels. The project will begin with a
literature study and a conceptualization part that forms the basis for the series of generic calculation cases to be studied within the project. To test the conclusions drawn from the calculation cases, case studies with field data from boreholes will be carried out. The project's expected results will contribute to a better and clearer methodology for numerical forecast models of boreholes and groundwater conditions to be used in e.g. permitting processes.