Author(s): H. Mpimpas; P. Anagnostopoulos; J. Ganoulis
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Suspended sediments; Flocculation; Erosion; Coastal areas; Finite elements
Abstract: To describe the concentration distribution of cohesive and non-cohesive sediments in the Gulf of Thermaikos located in Northern Greece, a two-dimensional numerical model is employed for the solution of the advection-diffusion equation. The model contains, except from the transport and diffusion of the sediments, physical and chemical mechanisms, like sedimentation, erosion and flocculation. The main source of the inputted sediment loads is three rivers, discharging into the upper part of the Gulf. The finite element technique was favored for the solution, because of its versatility to model complicated geometries like coastlines and strongly varying bathymetry. To reduce the numerical diffusion associated with the solution of the advection-diffusion equation, the characteristic-Galerkin technique is applied. The velocity distribution in the Gulf for various wind directions was derived from the numerical solution of a wind-induced circulation model, using the finite element technique. The concentration distributions of the suspended sediments (sand and clay) obtained for different climatic scenarios are presented in relevant diagrams.
Year: 2003