OpenGeoSys
DeveloperOpenGeoSys Community
Written inC++
Operating systemLinux, Windows, macOS
TypeScientific software
LicenseBSD License
Websitewww.opengeosys.org

OpenGeoSys (OGS) is an open-source scientific software for the numerical simulation of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in porous and fractured media.[1]

The software is based on the finite element method and is used in hydrogeology, geotechnical engineering, geothermal energy, and environmental sciences.[2]

History

edit

The origins of OpenGeoSys date back to the mid-1980s, when numerical simulation tools for coupled processes in geosciences were developed.[1] An early predecessor was the software RockFlow, which was initiated following a request from the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) to simulate flow processes in fractured rock systems.[1]

Early implementations were written in Fortran and later evolved into modular simulation tools coupled via file-based interfaces.[1] In the late 1990s, the software was reimplemented in the C programming language to improve computational efficiency and flexibility, followed by a transition to C++ and object-oriented design.[1]

This development resulted in GeoSys/RockFlow and later OpenGeoSys, which combined multi-physics capabilities with a unified simulation framework.[1]

Subsequent versions (OpenGeoSys 4 and 5) were widely used in research applications. A major redevelopment led to OpenGeoSys 6 (OGS-6), which introduced a modern C++ code base, improved modularity, and enhanced support for high-performance computing.[2]

Benchmarking and validation have been central elements of the project since its early stages.[1]

Technology

edit

OpenGeoSys is based on the finite element method and is designed to simulate coupled multi-physics processes in porous and fractured media.[1]

Supported processes include:

  • Groundwater flow in saturated and unsaturated systems
  • Heat transport and geothermal processes
  • Mechanical deformation of porous media
  • Reactive transport and geochemical processes

The software is implemented in C++ and supports parallel computing using high-performance computing techniques such as MPI.[2] It uses standard scientific data formats such as VTK for input and output.

Applications

edit

OpenGeoSys has been applied in a wide range of scientific and engineering contexts.

Applications include the simulation of thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical processes in porous media, such as geothermal energy systems and subsurface energy applications. [3]

OpenGeoSys has been used in international benchmark studies for coupled processes, including comparisons with other simulation codes in initiatives such as DECOVALEX.[4] The software has also been applied to geothermal reservoir simulations and non-isothermal multi-phase flow problems.[5] The developments also include advances in reactive transport modeling in porous media.[6] In addition, OpenGeoSys has been used in hydrological modeling studies through coupling with the mesoscale hydrologic model mHM.[7]

Community and benchmarking

edit

The OpenGeoSys community maintains benchmark collections and reference problems, including the publication of benchmark studies and books.[8]

edit

Other software used for subsurface and groundwater simulation includes:

References

edit
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kolditz, Olaf; Bauer, Sebastian; Bilke, Lars; Böttcher, Nils; Delfs, Jan-Oliver; Fischer, Thomas; Görke, Uwe-Jens; Kalbacher, Thomas; Kosakowski, Georg; McDermott, Ciara; Park, Chung; Rink, Karsten; Shao, Hua; Sun, Feng; Watanabe, Norihiro (2012). "OpenGeoSys: an open-source initiative for numerical simulation of thermo-hydro-mechanical/chemical (THM/C) processes in porous media". Environmental Earth Sciences. 67 (2): 589–599. Bibcode:2012EES....67..589K. doi:10.1007/s12665-012-1546-x. hdl:20.500.11820/17949295-6820-4dfc-9328-e37293f5b5d4.
  2. 1 2 3 Bilke, Lars; Fischer, Thomas; Kolditz, Olaf (2019). "Development of OpenGeoSys: open-source scientific software for multiphysics simulations". Transport in Porous Media. 130 (1): 337–361. doi:10.1007/s11242-019-01310-5 (inactive 16 April 2026).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of April 2026 (link)
  3. Kolditz, Olaf; Görke, Uwe-Jens; Shao, Hua; Wang, Wenqing (2012). "Thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical processes in porous media: benchmarks and applications". Environmental Earth Sciences. 67 (2): 505–516. doi:10.1007/s12665-012-1553-y.
  4. Rutqvist, Jonny; Zhou, Qing; Kolditz, Olaf (2010). "TOUGH-FLAC and OGS comparison of coupled THM processes". International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences. 47 (5): 768–777. doi:10.1016/j.ijrmms.2010.03.011.
  5. Kolditz, Olaf; Yao, Jianjun; Watanabe, Norihiro (2011). "Non-isothermal two-phase flow in porous media: applications to geothermal systems". Computational Geosciences. 15 (3): 493–506. doi:10.1007/s10596-010-9199-7 (inactive 16 April 2026).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of April 2026 (link)
  6. Lu, Renchao; Nagel, Thomas; Poonoosamy, Jenna; Naumov, Dmitri; Fischer, Thomas; Montoya, Vanessa; Kolditz, Olaf; Shao, Haibing (2022). "A new operator-splitting finite element scheme for reactive transport modeling in saturated porous media". Computers & Geosciences. 163 105106. Bibcode:2022CG....16305106L. doi:10.1016/j.cageo.2022.105106.
  7. Jing, Ming; Heße, Falk; Kumar, Rohini; Kolditz, Olaf; Kalbacher, Thomas; Attinger, Sabine (2019). "Influence of input and parameter uncertainty on the prediction of catchment-scale groundwater travel time distributions". Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 23 (1): 171–190. Bibcode:2019HESS...23..171J. doi:10.5194/hess-23-171-2019.
  8. Kolditz, Olaf; Görke, Uwe-Jens; Shao, Hua; Wang, Wenqing (2018). OpenGeoSys Benchmark Book. Terrestrial Environmental Sciences. Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-29224-3. ISBN 978-3-319-29223-6.
edit