Algorithm to calculate equal-area grid cells in irregular estuarine cross-sections

GERARDO M.E. PERILLO; M. CINTIA PICCOLO; JOSÉ MOSQUERA

COMPUTERS & GEOSCIENCES

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 1999 vol. 25 p. 277 - 282

0098-3004

Calculation of residual fluxes in estuarine cross-sections requires the definition of a grid scheme which depends on the shape of the profile and the tidal height. Although it has been demonstrated that a full proportional grid provides error-free conditions for this estimation, the computational procedure to define the grid when the cross-section is geomorphologically complex is not trivial. An algorithm programmed in C++is presented to provide the automatic computation of a grid with equal cell areas. An advantage of the algorithm is the fact that the cell center corresponds to the center of the cell area rather than the geometric center contributing the most adequate weight and reducing further the error in the calculation of the fluxes