We can finally announce the official publication of openKARST, our Python-based open-source code for modeling transient flow in karst conduit networks. The paper has now been published in Computers & Geosciences:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2025.106066
Karst systems pose unique challenges due to their highly dynamic flow regimes and complex geometries. Transitions between free-surface and pressurized flow, as well as laminar and turbulent conditions, often occur simultaneously across a network. Accurately representing these processes is essential for understanding aquifer vulnerability, flood dynamics, and resource management in karst environments.
openKARST addresses these complexities by solving the 1D Saint-Venant (dynamic wave) equations using an efficient, fully vectorized iterative scheme tailored for conduit networks.
Key features of openKARST include:
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Dynamic free-surface and pressurized flows in circular conduits and complex karst networks
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Support for both Darcy-Weisbach and Manning friction formulations
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A continuous Churchill friction factor formulation to ensure smooth transitions from laminar to turbulent flow
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Implementation of common boundary conditions for karst settings
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Tools for network import, export, and visualization
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Verification against analytical solutions and validation with laboratory experiments
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A comprehensive manual and example workflows
In the paper, we demonstrate the capabilities of the code with a simulation of a synthetic recharge event in Mexico’s Ox Bel Ha system, one of the world’s largest mapped karst networks.
We hope openKARST provides new modeling opportunities for researchers and practitioners in hydrogeology, environmental engineering, and related fields. The code is freely available (see repository and archive links in the paper), and we warmly welcome feedback and contributions from the community.
Feel free to read the published article and explore the code – and help us continue developing openKARST!