A Particle Tracking Algorithm for Arbitrary Unstructured Grids

A new semi‐analytical algorithm for generating the local groundwater velocity field within irregular three‐dimensional grid cells (such as a Voronoi cell) is presented. The method supports particle tracking in the MODFLOW‐USG software package for a variety of supported unstructured grid formats. It is shown to replicate the results from the fully analytical Pollock's method when used on a rectilinear grid, and is demonstrated for difficult test cases where there is high spatial variability in the flow field within individual cells. The method is now available as an option in the mod‐PATH3DU software package and may be used with most MODFLOW‐USG packages without additional intervention.