NETPATH-WIN: An Interactive User Version of NETPATH, a Geochemical

and Isotopic Mass-Balance Model

Aly I. El-Kadia, *, L. Niel Plummerb and Pradeep Aggarwalc
a

Department of Geology and Geophysics and Water Resources Research Center, University of Hawaii
at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
b
United States Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, USA
c
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria

1. Introduction
The computer program NETPATH (Plummer et al., 1994) is frequently used
to construct quantitative models of the chemical evolution of waters along real or
hypothetical flow paths in aquifers or other hydrologic systems using hydrochemical
data. These models provide important information on geochemical processes and
water-rock reactions that can be used to place constraints on numerical models of
ground-water flow (Sanford et al., 2004).
NETPATH has been used to investigate geochemical and isotopic reactions in
a large number of hydrologic systems for more than 20 years (see for example
Noseck et al., 2009; Lu et al., 2008; Toth and Katz, 2006; Cronin et al., 2005;
Plummer and Sprinkle, 2001; Malcolm and Soulsby, 2001; OBrien et al., 1997;
Aravena et al., 1995; Plummer et al., 1990). The modeling concepts in NETPATH
can be traced to geochemical mass-balance calculations originally demonstrated by
Garrels and MacKenzie (1967), and have evolved through a series of theoretical and
software contributions (see for example-- Parkhurst et al. 1982; Plummer et al., 1983;
Plummer et al., 1994; Parkhurst, 1997; Glynn and Plummer, 2005).
One of the more important applications of NETPATH is in adjustment of
carbon-14 data in initial waters for water-rock reactions in groundwater systems,
resulting in a quantitative approach to radiocarbon dating of dissolved carbon in
groundwater. The radiocarbon dating analysis of NETPATH utilizes data on total
dissolved carbon (dissolved inorganic carbon, DIC; dissolved organic carbon, DOC;
and dissolved methane, CH4). Previous approaches to radiocarbon dating only
account for inorganic carbon and a somewhat limited number of reaction possibilities
(see for example Ingerson and Pearson, 1964; Fontes and Garnier, 1979; Fontes,
1990; Kalin, 1999). NETPATH is unique among geochemical modeling codes in its
handling of radiocarbon dating, utilizing total dissolved carbon, inverse geochemical
modeling, and Rayleigh distillation equations (Wigley et al., 1978).
The use of NETPATH involves an iterative approach that requires multiple
runs with varying initial conditions and constraints. Originally, NETPATH and an
associated database program, DB, were written in FORTRAN 77 for operation in a
DOS environment. Recently the data-handling functions of NETPATH were replaced
with a new version, NetpathXL that uses Microsoft Excel (Parkhurst and Charlton,
2008) for data entry. NetpathXL is otherwise identical to NETPATH, and runs in a
DOS environment. Although NetpathXL has made it easier to use NETPATH in
todays computing environment, the lack of a graphical user interface has limited the
use of this software in general. NETPATH-WIN has therefore been constructed to
migrate NETPATH applications into the Microsoft WINDOWS environment.

Corresponding author. Tel./fax: +8089566331/8089565512. E-mail address: [email protected]

2. Features of NETPATH-WIN and DB-WIN

The purpose of the graphical user interface for NETPATH is to facilitate data
entry and interactive use of the code for testing and accepting various model results.
Detailed model-use procedures, description of input variables and terms, and test
cases are documented in the original NETPATH report (Plummer et al, 1994), which
is included in the NETPATH-WIN package. Two complete data sets are included
with the NETPATH-WIN distribution package1. Test cases associated with the
original NETPATH (Plummer et al., 1994), and 2. geochemical models with
radiocarbon dating from a study by Plummer and Sprinkle (2001). The user should be
familiar with the model, its limitations and assumptions, and data requirements.
2.1. DB-WIN
DB-WIN is an interface for the database program DB (Plummer et al., 1994)
that allows entering and editing of chemical and isotopic data for a set of water
analyses. DB-WIN permits entry, storage, and editing of up to 50 analyses of water
samples for a single file (file.lon); calculates mineral saturation indices; and creates
the input file (file.pat) to be used for constructing reaction models in NETPATHWIN. All of the features of the original DB program (Plummer et al., 1994) are
retained in DB-WIN. New in DB-WIN is the ability to import and/or export data
to/from Microsoft Excel spreadsheets using the CSV format. Previously constructed
datasets from earlier DOS applications can be read by DB-WIN, and if desired,
exported to Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. DB-WIN documentation can be accessed
through an interactive Instruction tab from the main screen of DB-WIN.
2.2. NETPATH-WIN
NETPATH-WIN is the interface for NETPATH (Plummer et al., 1994),
which, given a set of chemical and isotopic constraints, finds all the geochemical
mass-balance models that could account for the chemical evolution of one water
composition to another for a given set of possible reactant minerals and gases. All of
the original features of NETPATH are retained in NETPATH-WIN. Documentation
is provided through an Instruction tab from the main screen of NETPATH-WIN.
Some of the modeling features of NETPATH include: 1. possible mixing of up to five
initial waters with or without further geochemical reaction, 2. inclusion of oxidationreduction reactions, 3. treatment of the total dissolved carbon system (DIC-DOCCH4), and 4. isotopic evolution (N2, S, Sr, and C) including radiocarbon dating.
3. Software Availability
NETPATH-WIN is maintained by the Isotope Hydrology Section of the
International Atomic Energy Agency and can be downloaded free of charge from
URL http://www-naweb.iaea.org/napc/ih/index.html, or from the U.S. Geological
Survey at http://wwwbrr.cr.usgs.gov/projects/GWC_coupled/netpath/.
Acknowledgements
We thank D.L. Parkhurst (USGS, Lakewood, CO), and D.L. Nelms (USGS,
Richmond, VA) for their constructive reviews of the manuscript. Kayo Fujiwara, a

graduate student, University of Hawaii, contributed to programming. The software

was programmed with Fortran 90 of Lahey Computer Systems, Inc., and Winteracter
of Interactive Software Service Ltd. Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this
paper is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S.
Government.

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