PyHydroGeophysX: An extensible open-source platform for integrating hydrological models with geophysical measurements

Hydrological models and geophysical measurements are widely used tools for understanding subsurface hydrological processes relevant to water resource management, yet they typically remain disconnected due to technical barriers. We present PyHydroGeophysX, an open-source Python platform bridging this gap by providing standardized interfaces between hydrological modeling software (MODFLOW, ParFlow) and geophysical simulation tools (PyGIMLi, SimPEG). The platform implements bidirectional workflows: translating hydrological outputs into simulated geophysical responses through petrophysical models, and extracting hydrological information from geophysical inversions. Key features include bidirectional workflow modules, configurable petrophysical models, time-lapse inversion with temporal regularization, parallel computing, and mesh utilities for property transfer between geophysical and hydrological grids. The modular architecture of PyHydroGeophysX enables researchers to incorporate additional models and methods, fostering broader adoption of integrated hydrogeophysical approaches. The software is freely available on GitHub and is intended for researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of hydrology and geophysics.

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Publication Details

Journal
SoftwareX
Published
2026-05-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.softx.2026.102710
Primary Topic
Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

PyHydroGeophysX: An extensible open-source platform for integrating hydrological models with geophysical measurements

Qifei Niu, H Chen, Yuxin Wu
SoftwareX
Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
article

PyHydroGeophysX: An extensible open-source platform for integrating hydrological models with geophysical measurements

Qifei Niu, H Chen, Yuxin Wu
article en

Abstract

Hydrological models and geophysical measurements are widely used tools for understanding subsurface hydrological processes relevant to water resource management, yet they typically remain disconnected due to technical barriers. We present PyHydroGeophysX, an open-source Python platform bridging this gap by providing standardized interfaces between hydrological modeling software (MODFLOW, ParFlow) and geophysical simulation tools (PyGIMLi, SimPEG). The platform implements bidirectional workflows: translating hydrological outputs into simulated geophysical responses through petrophysical models, and extracting hydrological information from geophysical inversions. Key features include bidirectional workflow modules, configurable petrophysical models, time-lapse inversion with temporal regularization, parallel computing, and mesh utilities for property transfer between geophysical and hydrological grids. The modular architecture of PyHydroGeophysX enables researchers to incorporate additional models and methods, fostering broader adoption of integrated hydrogeophysical approaches. The software is freely available on GitHub and is intended for researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of hydrology and geophysics.

SoftwareXVol. 34
Boise State University (US), University of Iowa (US), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US)
Clean water and sanitation
Openalex Percentile: Top 9%
Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
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