Author(s): Leonardo D. Gutierrez; Qian Liao; Harvey A. Bootsma
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: We will present the configuration and validation of a 3D hydrodynamic model which simulates circulation in Lake Michigan. The model is based on the unstructured grid finite volume coastal ocean model (FVCOM). Our ultimate objective is to apply the model to simulate exchange of mass between the nearshore and the offshore zones, and to determine the transport and fate of both dissolved and particulate phosphorous in the nearshore water of Lake Michigan. In this paper we will present the results of the whole-lake simulation over the year of 2008. The model is driven by meteorological forcing observed around Lake Michigan. The results are validated by comparing model simulations of current speed and direction with measurements made in the lake. In the future, the result from the whole-lake simulation will be used to supply open-lake boundary conditions for the high-resolution coastal model near the city of Milwaukee, WI. The detailed nearshore model is applied to examine the relative importance of different processes that determine the relation between nearshore phosphorus concentration and river phosphorus loading.
Year: 2009