Assessment of a 3D Hydrostatic Model (POM) in the Near Field of a Buoyant River Plume in Lake Michigan

Nekouee, Navid; Hamidi, Sajad Ahmad; Roberts, Philip J. W.; Schwab, David J.

Assessment of a 3D Hydrostatic Model (POM) in the Near Field of a Buoyant River Plume in Lake Michigan

2015

Nekouee, Navid | Hamidi, Sajad Ahmad | Roberts, Philip J. W. | Schwab, David J.

River plumes are the major source of nutrients, sediments, and other pollutant into the coastal waters. The predictive capability of a 3D hydrodynamic model (POMGL), a version of the common Princeton Ocean Model (POM), adapted for the Great Lakes, is assessed versus field measurements. The model was applied to simulate the nearshore hydrodynamics as the Grand River plume entering Lake Michigan. A nesting technique was adapted to represent the circulation and thermal structure of the surface river plume with a higher resolution. The model was compared with extensive field studies in the vicinity of Grand Haven. The current predictions showed fairly good agreement with observations, although the thermal structure of the flow especially near the river mouth was not very well represented. The model showed a weak stratification and a mild temperature transition from the plume to the lake water and therefore more diffusion. Application of hydrostatic models in exchange flows (e.g., buoyant river plumes) is recommended with reservations and coupling of these models with near field entrainment or empirical models to consider the nonhydrostatic nature of lake-river interface currents.

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