Numerical simulation of the hydrodynamic in the Curimataú estuary, RN Brazil

Pinheiro Andutta, Fernando, de Miranda, Luiz Bruner, de Castro, Belmiro Mendes, Fontes, Roberto Fioravanti Carelli, and Ramos e Silva, Carlos Augusto (2008) Numerical simulation of the hydrodynamic in the Curimataú estuary, RN Brazil. In: Proceedings of the III Simposio Brasileiro de Oceanografia. pp. 545-558. From: III Simposio Brasileiro de Oceanografia, 2006, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

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Abstract

The Curimataú River estuary is a shallow partially mixed (type 2) tropical estuary, located in the Rio Grande do Norte (RN) state, northeast Brazilian coast (lat. 06o18’S); the main system is composed by three rivers: Curimataú, Cunhaú and Guaratuba. The numerical model Delft3D-Flow was used to study hydrodynamic features of the estuary. The model predictions were evaluated using the Skill parameter based in the comparison of the theoretical solutions with observations of hourly values of tidal heights, currents and salinity at an anchor station located at the cell (M=279; N=323). The applied computational grid is curvilinear with around 6,000 horizontal wet points, including the inner shelf. Open boundary conditions was obtained from the analysis of 2.7 years of hourly tidal heights, recorded at Natal harbor, and the inner boundaries conditions were controlled by freshwater input into the three main rivers. Initial conditions of hydrographic properties were uniform in the previous simulations and, only the temperature was set to a constant value in whole simulation. The steady-state of the fields of velocity and thermohaline properties was reached after almost four weeks of simulation of the baroclinic mode. The best fit between the model and the observations was for the semidiurnal spring tide oscillation with a Skill=0.98; for the velocities and salinities simulations during this tidal condition the best mean Skills values were 0.82 and 0.94, respectively.

Item ID: 24056
Item Type: Conference Item (Non-Refereed Research Paper)
Date Deposited: 21 Jun 2013 01:23
FoR Codes: 04 EARTH SCIENCES > 0405 Oceanography > 040503 Physical Oceanography @ 33%
04 EARTH SCIENCES > 0405 Oceanography > 040501 Biological Oceanography @ 33%
04 EARTH SCIENCES > 0499 Other Earth Sciences > 049999 Earth Sciences not elsewhere classified @ 34%
SEO Codes: 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9605 Ecosystem Assessment and Management > 960503 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Coastal and Estuarine Environments @ 33%
96 ENVIRONMENT > 9611 Physical and Chemical Conditions of Water > 961102 Physical and Chemical Conditions of Water in Coastal and Estuarine Environments @ 34%
97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970102 Expanding Knowledge in the Physical Sciences @ 33%
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