Sensitivity analysis of hydrodynamic and reaction parameters in conceptual model reflecting aquifer characteristics of Korea was performed to evaluate the uncertainty in the predicted concentrations. Among the hydrodynamic input parameters, both hydraulic conductivity (K_x) and hydraulic gradient (I) affected transport behaviors of contaminants, and resulted in same convergence concentrations with continuous injections of contaminant. However, longitudinal dispervisity (α_L) affected both transport behaviors and the convergence concentrations of contaminants. Compared to the hydrodynamic parameters, growth kinetic and degradation parameters (μ_m & K_c) more significantly affected both transport behaviors and the convergence concentrations of contaminants, indicating those parameters had higher sensitivity indices causing the uncertainties of model predictions. Considering that the sensitivity indices of both hydrodynamic and reaction parameters were a function of transport distance of groundwater, the parameters with higher sensitivity indices, a priori, need to be investigated using conceptual model reflecting site-specific aquifer characteristics before field investigation. After determining the parameters with higher sensitivity indices, the detail field investigations for the selected hydrodynamic and reaction parameters were warranted to reduce the uncertainties of model predictions. 

Keywords: Conceptual model, Groundwater, Hydrodynamic parameter, Reaction parameter, Sensitivity analysis, Uncertainty