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Flow balances in St. Andrew Bay revealed through hydrodynamic simulations

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Abstract

The circulation patterns in St. Andrew Bay, Florida are revealed through the application of a well-tested, extensively used three-dimensional hydrodynamic model. A high resolution grid resolving both the horizontal and vertical directions is used with a systematically developed set of forcing functions to simulate conditions over a full year. Water levels at the three open boundaries are deduced from a year-long deployment of pressure gauges, and freshwater loadings are based upon drainage basin characteristics and precipitation measurements. Model validation involves comparisons with hydrographic casts taken at twelve stations distributed throughout the bay at monthly intervals. The relative average error between the observed and model-predicted salinity is 15% for the surface of the water column and 4% for the bottom. The annual net flow balance consists of an influx of water at the two Intracoastal Waterway open boundaries, with that water exiting to the Gulf of Mexico. An average of about 100 m3 s−1 enters from East Bay and about 40 m3 s−1 enters through West Bay. On shorter time scales, the flow balance is quite variable both in terms of magnitude and direction. This study also presents methods to overcome the paucity of data that is usually available for the development of such a model. These include techniques to take bottom pressure data sets with short gaps and create reliable sea surface elevation boundary conditions and to take precipitation data and drainage basin characteristics and produce estimates of freshwater inflows.

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  1. HydroQual, Inc., 1 Lethbridge Plaza, 07430, Mahwah, New Jersey

    Alan F. Blumberg & B. Nicholas Kim

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  1. Alan F. Blumberg
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  2. B. Nicholas Kim
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Correspondence to Alan F. Blumberg.

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Blumberg, A.F., Nicholas Kim, B. Flow balances in St. Andrew Bay revealed through hydrodynamic simulations. Estuaries 23, 21–33 (2000). https://doi.org/10.2307/1353222

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1353222

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