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HOW TO MODEL HYDRODYNAMICS AND RESIDENCE TIMES OF 27 ESTUARIES IN 4 MONTHS
Citation:
Abdelrhman, M. HOW TO MODEL HYDRODYNAMICS AND RESIDENCE TIMES OF 27 ESTUARIES IN 4 MONTHS. Presented at New England Estuarine Research Society Conference, Fairhaven, MA, May 8-10, 2003.
Description:
The hydrodynamics and residence times of 27 embayments were modeled during the first year of a project whose goal is to define the relation between nitrogen loadings and ecological responses of 44 systems that range from small to the size of Narragansett Bay and Buzzards Bay. The challenge was to use a simple method that could be implemented quickly for a large number of systems with limited field data. To do this, we had to assume two-dimensional characteristics of the systems, calm winds, and no freshwater inflow. We also had to sacrifice some accuracy: rough estimates of turbulent diffusion and dispersion coefficients were provided by minimal calibration, bottom friction was estimated from bottom type and water depth on published maps, and tidal forcing was obtained from tables and web sites. GIS provided digitized boundaries and bathymetries for each system, which were then used to generate two-dimensional grids for the finite-element models used in predicting circulation and transport. Tidal flushing of embayment water was calculated by tagging the water in the model systems with a simulated tracer and calculating the e-folding times. All systems were modeled using the same procedures. Comparing our results with published results for some of the systems suggested that our procedure reasonably reproduced the flushing behavior in the 27 systems.