Author(s): Sundarambal Palani; Cui Chun; Pavel Tkalich
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Water quality; Hydrodynamic; Salinity; TSS; Modelling; EIA; Singapore coastal waters
Abstract: he Singapore coastal water is bounded by the (East and West) Johor Strait in the North and the Singapore Strait in the South. The hydrodynamic currents in the Singapore Strait are dominated by semi-diurnal tides with a bias in the eastern (Southwest monsoon) or western (Northeast monsoon) directions. The salinity distribution within the coastal waterways reflects the relative influx of fresh water supplied by rivers, and depends on mixing ability of receiving water. Concentration of Total Suspended Solids (TSS), in addition to the above phenomena, is varying also on shear stress and the tidal stream. Salinity and TSS are the most basic water property parameters affecting the marine water quality and ecosystem. In this study, in-house 3D water quality model NEUTRO is used to simulate transport of salinity and TSS in the water column. The model is calibrated and validated using available data and is able to reproduce the observed salinity and TSS concentrations in both the East Johor and Singapore Straits fairly well, despite the complex physical processes evident in the study domain. This paper describes the results obtained for the baseline calibration of salinity and TSS in the model domain. This numerical modeling study helps to understand the behavior of baseline water quality and is useful for environmental statement research in the Singapore coastal waters.
Year: 2012