A second-year PhD student from Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Zsóka Szabó visited the University of Milan (UMIL), in the frame of ENeRAG student exchange program. The aim of the exchange was to learn the fundamentals of vadose zone modeling: what are the necessary data for characterizing the soil properties in unsaturated conditions and which are the factors influencing them, developing appropriate unsaturated/saturated flow numerical analyses, the techniques of sensitivity analysis and the effects of using different boundary conditions.
Working on a real case study, directly managed by UMIL, the effects of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) through an infiltration basin were studied. Furthermore as part of the participant’s PhD research, investigation of possible water supply scenarios was carried out by numerical modeling based on archive and field data for a selected study area in the Danube-Tisza Interfluve, Hungary. The further aim of this research is to understand the effects of man-made changes on groundwater flow systems and connected artificial recharge in the broader area and suggest appropriate local scale water recharge solutions accordingly. The exchange was able to strengthen the connection between ELTE and UMIL and the participants could share their knowledge both on numerical modeling and groundwater flow systems.
