Webinar – Groundwater Data Suitability and Modelling Uncertainty – When do we actually know enough?
Australasian Land & Groundwater Association (ALGA)
About this session
This webinar addresses groundwater data suitability and modelling uncertainty in applied hydrogeology. It explores how to distinguish between data gaps that materially affect assessments and uncertainties unlikely to influence decision-making, emphasizing robust conceptual site models and risk-based approaches to support defensible outcomes.
Overview
Groundwater assessments are rarely undertaken with complete information. Monitoring data may be limited, subsurface conditions complex, and interpretations dependent on assumptions that cannot be fully verified. Practitioners, regulators and project proponents must determine whether available evidence is sufficient to support a technically defensible decision.
Key Focus
A key challenge is distinguishing between data gaps that genuinely affect assessment outcomes and uncertainties unlikely to materially influence decision-making. The focus should be on whether available data are fit for purpose and whether additional investigation will improve confidence in the decision.
Approach
A robust conceptual site model and a proportionate, risk-based approach are central to this process. Understanding how uncertainty influences groundwater assessments and modelling helps practitioners target investigations effectively and communicate limitations clearly.