Modelling of the vertical circulation in Quequén Harbor (Argentina)

PALMA, ELBIO D; PERILLO, GERARDO M. E.

Birmingham

Congreso; General Assembly International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans; 1999

IAPSO

The Bahía Blanca Estuary lodges in its margins a major petrochemical industrial park, athermoelectric plant, and an important deep-water harbor system. A better understanding ofthe physical properties of the estuary will certainly help in solving the pollution and dredgingproblems of the region. In this study the tidal wind driven response of the estuary is analyzedwith a finite difference two-dimensional barotropic model which has an embedded algorithmthat handles tidal flat covering and uncovering. The model is verified by comparing observedand computed water elevations in some stations. The model results show that the incident tidalwave from the Atlantic is delayed considerably as it enters the estuary channels. The waveamplitude is amplified towards the head, with channel convergence prevailing over bottom andlateral friction A comparative study between sea surface elevation and currents lag confirmsthe existence of a standing wave in the main navigation channel. Experiments with theprevailing NW winds show minor modifications of surface elevations in the outer estuary andof tidal currents in the inner main channel. The simulation with the strongest SE winds(‘sudestadas’) produce the highest sea level changes in coastal areas, with importantconsequences for harbor activities.