Modeling Turbulent Transport in Stratified Estuary

Abstract

A finite difference mathematical model for the calculation of estuarine flow and transport processes is presented. Due to the emphasis on engineering applications, turbulence closure is formulated on the basis of mixing length and damping functions. The necessary empirical constants were determined from theoretical considerations and from data published in the literature from meteorological, oceanographic, and laboratory experiments, which yielded a set of parameters for eddy viscosity and eddy diffusivity not tuned to a particular system. Similarly, an integral model is derived to account for wind‐induced mixing in the case of highly variable meteorological conditions. Application of the model in a case study of the Trave estuary in northern Germany shows its predictive capability. A long‐term simulation of 85 days reproduced both total mixing events and strong stratification. The model showed good agreement with the extensive field data.