SWAMP: A two‐dimensional hydrodynamic and quality modeling platform for shallow waters

Abstract

Water quality two-dimensional models are often partitioned into separate modules with separate hydraulic and biological units. In most cases this approach results in poor flexibility whenever the biological dynamics has to be adapted to a specific situation. Conversely, an integrated approach is pursued in this article, producing a two-dimensional hydraulic-water quality model, named Shallow Water Analysis and Modeling Program (SWAMP) designed for shallow water bodies. The major objective of the work is to create a comprehensive two-dimensional water quality assessment tool, based on an open framework and combining easy programming of additional procedures with a user-friendly interface. The model is based on the numerical solution of the partial differential equations describing advection-diffusion and biological processes on a two-dimensional rectangular finite elements mesh. The hydraulics and advection-diffusion modules model were validated both with experimental tracer data collected at a constructed wetland site and a comparison with a commercial hydrodynamic software, showing good agreement in both cases. Moreover, the model was tested in critical conditions for mass conservation, such as time-varying wet boundary, showing a considerable numerical robustness. In the last part of the article water quality simulations are presented, though validation data are not yet available. Nevertheless, the observed model response demonstrates general consistency with expected results and the advantages of integrating the hydraulic and quality modules. The interactive graphical user interface (GUI) is also shown to represent a simple and effective connective tool to the integrated package.

A Dynamic Model to Simulate Water Level and Salinity in a Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon

“…Both variables have substantial ecological significance and are highly informative descriptors of the risk of critical situations such as the hypersalinisation of the lagoon and the littoral desiccation due to low water levels, both with severe adverse effects on the macrophyte meadows and the fish community (Pretus 2003;Cardona 2000). Numerous models have been developed to simulate the hydrology of Mediterranean costal lagoons; most of them are two-or three-dimensional models designed to describe circulation patterns resulting from wind, river or tidal forcing (Niedda and Greppi 2007;Marinov et al 2006;Ferrarin and Umgiesser 2005;Umgiesser et al 2004;Chauvelon et al 2003;Covelli et al 2002). In the Albufera des Grau, a detailed hydrodynamic model would be useful in describing the risk of haline stratification and bottom anoxia.…”

Eco-Efficiency of End-of-Pipe Systems: An Extended Environmental Cost Efficiency Framework for Wastewater Treatment

“…where x represented the distance from emission point to the downstream water body that was under evaluation; k i was the self-purification coefficients substance i; u was the water velocity of receiving water bodies; and P i was the average material mass per unit time for substance i. For rivers having bigger sizes with a width more than 200 m, two-dimensional water quality models (Two-DWQM) were more applicable [32]. The concentration of water pollutants was supposed to change in the longitudinal and horizontal directions.…”

Characterizing Water Pollution Potential in Life Cycle Impact Assessment Based on Bacterial Growth and Water Quality Models

“…The development of 2D is based upon the finite-difference solution of the vertically averaged equations of fluid motion [33,34]. 2D describes time-varying lateral and longitudinal distributions of water pollutants in a water body, and is often used for large water bodies including large-sized rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and estuaries [35]. The use of 2D depends on the assumption that water quality varies along the longitudinal and lateral axes of a water-body, and all waste constituents are assumed to be completely mixed vertically [34].…”