Effects of baroclinic terms in cohesive sediment transport pattern at a schematic estuary.

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Thursday 2 july 2015

17:42 - 17:45h at Mississippi (level 1)

Themes: (T) Sediment management and morphodynamics, (ST) Morphodynamics of estuaries and coastal areas, Poster pitches

Parallel session: Poster pitches: 13A. Sediment - Coast

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Proper estimation of the rate of cohesive sediment transport is very useful in the wide ranges of coastal engineering activities, such as building the ports, access channel and regulation of estuaries and tidal inlets. In this study, an existing 3D hydrodynamic model (Khosh kholgh,2010) is developed in order to simulation of cohesive sediment transport. Then, using this model, the circulation and cohesive sediment transport pattern in a schematic estuary are simulated in both barotropic and baroclinic mode. The results show that in the baroclinic mode the position of maximum turbidity is corresponding with the location of salt wedge, while in the barotropic mode, it appears in the sea during the ebb and goes upstream of the river during the flood. In addition, in the baroclinic mode, the erosive riverine flow is weakened at the position of salt wedge and the thickness of bed increases due to the deposition of suspended sediments while in the barotropic mode, they travel into the sea and deposit in the vicinity of the estuary.