Abstract:

A high-resolution, three-dimensional coastal ocean circulation model is applied to Tampa Bay to determine the effects that channel deepening and widening may have on the estuary’s tidal and nontidal circulations. The model domain includes all of Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, the Intra-coastal Waterway, and the adjoining rivers. With resolution as high as 20 m, the model resolves the main shipping channels, the bridge causeways, and all important inlet mass conveyances. Model evaluations are made against in situ data and a previously published, relatively lower-resolution version.

Suggested Citation:

Weisberg, Robert. 2014. Influences of Channel Deepening and Widening on the Tidal and Nontidal Circulations of Tampa Bay, August-November 2001. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N7RB72M7

Publications:

Zhu, J., Weisberg, R. H., Zheng, L., & Han, S. (2014). Influences of Channel Deepening and Widening on the Tidal and Nontidal Circulations of Tampa Bay. Estuaries and Coasts, 38(1), 132–150. doi:10.1007/s12237-014-9815-4

Purpose:

To develop a regional 3D Earth System Model that includes interfacial exchange processes between sediment, water, and atmosphere; biogeochemical processes, the transport of organisms, and the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on all of these processes.

Data Parameters and Units:

Global: Global Variables all_channel: the longitude and latitude of the channel (km) channel_lonlat: the longitude and latitude of the deepening and widening channel (km) cstline: the longitude and latitude of coastline (km) lat_ele: the latitude of triangle elements lon_ele: the longitude of triangle elements lat_node: the latitude of nodes lon_node: the longitude of nodes num: the number of coastlines pos: [lon_node lat_node] tri: the nodes of each triangle elements Figure1: The major structural features of Tampa Bay section1_node: the starting and ending nodes of section 1 section2_node: the starting and ending nodes of section 2 section3_node: the starting and ending nodes of section 3 section4_node: the starting and ending nodes of section 4 section5_node: the starting and ending nodes of section 5 section6_node: the starting and ending nodes of section 6 sun_skyway_node: the starting and ending nodes of sunshine skyway sealevel: Tidal Guage Station current: Current Station Figure2: Model Grid Figure3: The bathymetry before and after channel modifications h_node_before: The bathymetry before channel modifications h_node_after: The bathymetry after channel modifications Figure4: Comparisons of 3-month mean axial components of velocity at current station obs_v: Observation data obs_v2: Extrapolation data model_v1: Model with wind model_v2: Model without wind Figure5: Differences of coamplitude and co-phase for theM2 and K1 tidal constituents betweenbefore and after channel modifications M2_am_diff: amplitude differences for M2 M2_pm_diff: phase differences for M2 K1_am_diff: amplitude differences for K1 K1_pm_diff: phase differences for K1 Figure6: The amplitude and phase distributions for the M2 and K1 tidal constituents along the deep channel axis model_el_constant_before: the tidal constants before channel modification model_el_constant_after: the tidal constants after channel modification Figure7: The differences of the depth averaged semi-major tidal hodograph ellipse axes for M2 and K1 constituents between before and after channel modifications M2_am_diff: differences for M2 K1_am_diff: differences for K1 Figure8: Distributions of nontidal elevation throughout Tampa Bay zeta_node_filt_mean_before: nontidal elevation before channel modification zeta_node_filt_mean_after: nontidal elevation after channel modification zeta_node_filt_mean_diff: differences between before and after channel modification Figure9: Distributions of nontidal current at the surface throughout Tampa Bay xxx yyy: Longitude and Latitude (km) euler_uu_surface_before euler_vv_surface_before: notidal current before channel modification euler_uu_surface_after euler_vv_surface_after: notidal current after channel modification euler_uu_surface_diff euler_vv_surface_diff: differences of notidal current Figure10: Distributions of nontidal current at the bottom throughout Tampa Bay xxx yyy: Longitude and Latitude (km) euler_uu_bottom_before euler_vv_bottom_before: notidal current before channel modification euler_uu_bottom_after euler_vv_bottom_after: notidal current after channel modification euler_uu_bottom_diff euler_vv_bottom_diff: differences of notidal current Figure11: Comparisons of 3-month mean axial components of velocity at current station for four cases model_v1: Tide + River model_v2: Tide + River + Deepen model_v3: Tide + River + Winds model_v4: Tide + River + Winds + Deepen Figure12: Distributions of nontidal salinity at the surface throughout Tampa Bay s_surface_node_filt_mean_before: nontidal salinity before channel modification s_surface_node_filt_mean_after: nontidal salinity after channel modification s_surface_node_filt_mean_diff: differences of nontidal salinity Figure13: Distributions of nontidal salinity at the bottom throughout Tampa Bay s_bottom_node_filt_mean_before: nontidal salinity before channel modification s_bottom_node_filt_mean_after: nontidal salinity after channel modification s_bottom_node_filt_mean_diff: differences of nontidal salinity Figure14: Cross-sectional distributions of the nontidal salt flux, the section-normal velocity component, and the salinity at the Tampa Bay mouth cross section CS1 section_dis_before section_dis_after: distance section_hh_before section_hh_after: depth section_s_before section_s_after: salinity section_v_rotate_before section_v_rotate_after: section-normatl velocity component section_vs_rotate_before section_vs_rotate_after: section-normatl salt flux Figure15: Simalar as Figure14, except for CS2 Figure16: Simalar as Figure14, except for CS3 Figure17: Cross-sectional distributions of the nontidal salinity along deep channel channel_dis_before channel_dis_after: distance channel_hh_before channel_hh_after: depth channel_s_before channel_s_after: salinity

Individual Files: