GMS 10.9 Beta: New Tools for Advanced Groundwater Modeling

The latest beta release of the Groundwater Modeling System (GMS) 10.9 is now available, bringing new tools and model support to help groundwater professionals build more accurate and flexible simulations. Whether you’re studying geothermal systems, coastal aquifers, or contaminant transport, this update offers several key enhancements developed in direct response to user feedback.

Modeling Heat Transport with MODFLOW 6 Groundwater Energy (GWE)

One of the most significant additions in GMS 10.9 Beta is support for the MODFLOW 6 Groundwater Energy (GWE) package. This model makes it possible to simulate three-dimensional heat transport in both saturated and unsaturated zones—an important feature for geothermal energy studies, aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES), and thermal remediation projects.

The GWE model handles advective heat transport, thermal conduction, and energy storage, allowing users to better understand how temperature interacts with groundwater systems over time.

Enhanced Contaminant Transport on Unstructured Grids

GMS 10.9 also extends support for MODFLOW-USG transport, improving simulation of contaminant movement—especially in complex hydrogeologic environments. This update supports unstructured grids with triangles, squares, or hexagons, giving modelers greater flexibility to refine resolution around key features like rivers, wells, or boundaries.

This enhancement is particularly valuable for modeling PFAS and other emerging contaminants, helping environmental scientists better represent contaminant fate and transport in realistic conditions.

Streamlined Multi-Aquifer Well Modeling

Support for the MODFLOW 6 Multi-Aquifer Well (MAW) package is now included in GMS 10.9 Beta. This addition simplifies the process of modeling wells that interact with multiple aquifer layers—ideal for projects involving complex groundwater systems or regional water management.

Users can more easily define layer-penetrating wells and analyze flow exchanges between aquifers, improving both accuracy and efficiency in well simulations using the conceptual model approach.

Shaping the Future of Groundwater Modeling

The GMS 10.9 Beta release is built for professionals who want to explore new modeling capabilities and help shape the next generation of groundwater tools. Your feedback during this beta phase will help refine and optimize features for the official release.

Go to aquaveo.com and download GMS 10.9 beta today!