Impact of multichannel river network on the plume dynamics in the <scp>P</scp>earl <scp>R</scp>iver estuary

Lai, Zhigang; Ma, Ronghua; Gao, Guangyin; Chen, Changsheng; Beardsley, Robert C.

doi:10.1002/2014jc010490

Cited by 38 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 53 publications

(62 reference statements)

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“…Recently, a number of observational and numerical modeling studies have been conducted for the Pearl River plume in the dry season [ Dong et al ., ; Wong et al ., ; Ji et al ., ; Zheng et al ., ; Lai et al ., ]. Based on the results, it is clear that the wind forcing has a major influence on the plume with a time scale longer than the tidal periods.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…The numerical study was based on the Pearl River Estuary 3‐D primitive equation, Finite‐Volume Community Ocean Model (PRE‐FVCOM) [ Lai et al ., ]. FVCOM was originally developed by Chen et al .…”

Section: Model Setup and Validationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To address this question, it is necessary to establish a high‐resolution 3‐D circulation model that is capable of resolving the complex estuarine environment in the PRE with realistic geometry and forcing conditions. Recently, we have developed such a model and successfully used it to understand the impact of the multichannel river network on the plume dynamics in the dry season [ Lai et al ., ]. This model allows us to investigate the downwelling‐favorable wind‐induced plume dynamics in the PRE, particularly on addressing questions related with saltwater intrusion, water quality, and ecosystem function and health in the dry season [ Dai et al ., ; Qiu et al ., ; Gong and Shen , ; Zhang et al ., ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Downwelling wind, tides, and estuarine plume dynamics

Lai

Ming-fen

et al. 2016

JGR Oceans

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The estuarine plume dynamics under a downwelling-favorable wind condition were examined in the windy dry season of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) using the PRE primitive-equation Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM). The wind and tide-driven estuarine circulation had a significant influence on the plume dynamics on both local and remote scales. Specifically, the local effect of downwellingfavorable winds on the plume was similar to the theoretical descriptions of coastal plumes, narrowing the plume width, and setting up a vertically uniform downstream current at the plume edge. Tides tended to reduce these plume responses through local turbulent mixing and advection from upstream regions, resulting in an adjustment of the isohalines in the plume and a weakening of the vertically uniform downstream current. The remote effect of downwelling-favorable winds on the plume was due to the wind-induced estuarine sea surface height (SSH), which strengthened the estuarine circulation and enhanced the plume transport accordingly. Associated with these processes, tide-induced mixing tended to weaken the SSH gradient and thus the estuarine circulation over a remote influence scale. Overall, the typical features of downwelling-favorable wind-driven estuarine plumes revealed in this study enhanced our understanding of the estuarine plume dynamics under downwelling-favorable wind conditions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Model Setup and Validationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Downwelling wind, tides, and estuarine plume dynamics

Lai

Ming-fen

et al. 2016

JGR Oceans

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“…Validation of storm-induced currents is also important, because our focus is wave-current interactions and their impacts on ocean waves. The performance of FVCOM in simulating ocean parameters has been investigated by many previous studies (Chen et al, 2013cHuang et al, 2008;Ji et al, 2018;Lai et al, 2015;Li et al, 2014;Qi et al, 2009;Sun et al, 2016a;Wu et al, 2010). In terms of validation for storm-induced currents, we have observations from three ADCP data sets during hurricane Bill.…”

Section: /2017jc012939mentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation of Wave‐Current Interactions Under Hurricane Conditions Using an Unstructured‐Grid Model: Impacts on Ocean Waves

2018

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The effect of wave‐current interactions on ocean waves under hurricane conditions is investigated through application of the unstructured‐grid finite‐volume community ocean model (FVCOM) coupled to the unstructured‐grid surface wave model (SWAVE) in the North Atlantic Ocean. We study wave‐current interactions during the life cycles of extratropical hurricanes Juan (2003) and Bill (2009) as they propagate from subtropical waters to midlatitudes in the Northwest Atlantic. Simulations of wave parameters in each hurricane are shown to compare well with buoy and satellite altimeter observations, in terms of winds, significant wave heights, wave energy spectra, and wave directions. This is partially achieved by restricting the drag coefficient. It is well known that the maximum intensity of tropical cyclones depends on the ratio of the enthalpy coefficient to the drag coefficient. The latter increases with wind speed, levels off with category one hurricanes and may drop for even higher winds. In our study, we find that setting a limiting value on the drag coefficient improves the simulations of waves at peak storm intensities. Simulation of wave‐current interactions is also shown to improve the simulation of the wave heights and wave energy spectra. This is notable at the peak of the storms, in comparisons with observations from buoys in areas of both deep water and relatively shallow water. The effect of currents on significant wave heights is shown to reach 0.4 m for hurricane Juan and 1.0 m for hurricane Bill, or as much as about ±10% for wave heights distributed along the storm track.

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“…In applications with irregular coastlines or Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 10.1002/2016JC011738 complex bathymetry, the unstructured approach allows finer grid resolution compared with structured grid models at similar computational effort, and consequently the second-order advection scheme can provide accuracy similar to higher order advection schemes on coarser grids [Chen et al, 2007;Huang et al, 2008]. FVCOM has been previously applied and evaluated quantitatively in shallow, stratified estuaries such as the Satilla River , Merrimack River [Ralston et al, 2010a], Skagit River [Ralston et al, 2013], and Pearl River [Lai et al, 2015].…”

Section: Numerical Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Turbulent and numerical mixing in a salt wedge estuary: Dependence on grid resolution, bottom roughness, and turbulence closure

et al. 2017

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The Connecticut River is a tidal salt wedge estuary, where advection of sharp salinity gradients through channel constrictions and over steeply sloping bathymetry leads to spatially heterogeneous stratification and mixing. A 3‐D unstructured grid finite‐volume hydrodynamic model (FVCOM) was evaluated against shipboard and moored observations, and mixing by both the turbulent closure and numerical diffusion were calculated. Excessive numerical mixing in regions with strong velocities, sharp salinity gradients, and steep bathymetry reduced model skill for salinity. Model calibration was improved by optimizing both the bottom roughness (z0), based on comparison with the barotropic tidal propagation, and the mixing threshold in the turbulence closure (steady state Richardson number, Rist), based on comparison with salinity. Whereas a large body of evidence supports a value of Rist ∼ 0.25, model skill for salinity improved with Rist ∼ 0.1. With Rist = 0.25, numerical mixing contributed about 1/2 the total mixing, while with Rist = 0.10 it accounted for ∼2/3, but salinity structure was more accurately reproduced. The combined contributions of numerical and turbulent mixing were quantitatively consistent with high‐resolution measurements of turbulent mixing. A coarser grid had increased numerical mixing, requiring further reductions in turbulent mixing and greater bed friction to optimize skill. The optimal Rist for the fine grid case was closer to 0.25 than for the coarse grid, suggesting that additional grid refinement might correspond with Rist approaching the theoretical limit. Numerical mixing is rarely assessed in realistic models, but comparisons with high‐resolution observations in this study suggest it is an important factor.

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Impact of multichannel river network on the plume dynamics in the Pearl River estuary

Cited by 38 publications

References 53 publications

Downwelling wind, tides, and estuarine plume dynamics

Downwelling wind, tides, and estuarine plume dynamics

Simulation of Wave‐Current Interactions Under Hurricane Conditions Using an Unstructured‐Grid Model: Impacts on Ocean Waves

Turbulent and numerical mixing in a salt wedge estuary: Dependence on grid resolution, bottom roughness, and turbulence closure

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