A hydrodynamic simulation for the circulation and transport in coastal watersheds

A depth-averaged equation set is solved to simulate two Gulf of Mexico Coastal water-system circulations, Calcasieu Lake (Louisiana) and Mobile Bay (Alabama). A semi-implicit algorithm with an alternating-direction-implicit technique is employed to perform numerical computations on a staggered Cartesian grid mesh that covers the targeted areas. The simulation results include effects from the major rivers around the water systems. Time histories of simulated water-surface elevations are compared to the measurement data and the good agreements prove the accuracy of the results. Flow patterns and elevation contours are compared during flood and ebb tides. Velocity vectors and particle tracers are used to indicate the flow patterns and related transport of the circulations. The results also show the effects of geometry on flow and flow-related transport.