Application of a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model for San Quintin Bay, B.C., Mexico. Validation and calibration using OpenDA

A 3D hydrodynamic model (Delf3D) was applied for San Quintin Bay (SQB), B.C., Mexico. Calibration and validation were conducted using measured bathymetry, wind, water surface elevation and velocities fields. The calibration period took place during the winter of 2010. Model predictions were evaluated graphically and statistically against field observations in order to quantify the accuracy of the predictions and evaluate the success of the model calibration. A 2D Calibration of tide constituents at the boundaries, seabed roughness and depths was done to evaluate the improvement in the velocities for the 3D Model. Comparisons between the model predictions and the field observations of the water surface elevation at interior stations indicated that the model had been successfully calibrated. It also indicated that the model predictions were highly correlated with the observed water surface elevations and velocities. This connection between the observed and simulated values was detected through graphical comparisons and root-mean-square errors and correlation coefficient. The objective of this study was to demonstrate that OpenDA could be used effectively to rapidly calibrate a hydrodynamic model for smaller sub-meso scales like the size of SQ Bay.