Abstract
Tidal circulation in the Cochin Estuary, a moderately polluted estuary along the southwest coast of India, was studied using a 2D hydrodynamic model. The predicted tides and currents showed very good agreement with measured tides. Particle trajectories and residual currents computed from the model have been used to classify the study region into three zones: northern estuary, central estuary, and southern estuary. The central estuary is dynamic, whereas the other two zones are relatively weak. An amplification of measured tides in the south estuary during March indicates the presence of standing waves caused by the hydraulic barrier at Thanneermukkom. Model results suggest that the northern and southern zones are sensitive to environmental pollution. The present level of pollution in the northern estuary is due to the direct release of industrial effluents into the river Periyar, which can be minimized if they are brought down to central estuary for disposal. The concept of different zones in the estuary will be useful to planners in protecting the vulnerable regions of this productive ecosystem from human interventions.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank Dr. S.R. Shetye, Director, NIO, Goa, and Dr. N. Bahulayan, Scientist-in-Charge for the encouragement and support. They are grateful to Dr. B. R. Subramanian, Director, ICMAM-PD, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India, Chennai for the financial support given under the study “Ecosystem Modeling of Cochin backwaters”. Gourish S. Salgaonkar (M/s. Environ Software) contributed to the preparation of the figures. The help received from the Marine Surveyor’s office, Cochin Port Trust, Cochin, State Irrigation Department, Thiruvananthapuram and Inland Waterway Authority of India, Cochin, for providing the sea level data is gratefully acknowledged. The critical suggestions by two anonymous reviewers and corrections made by Dr. Franciscus Colijn and Dr. Jörg-Olaf Wolff have substantially improved the clarity of the manuscript. This in NIO Contribution 4445.
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Balachandran, K.K., Reddy, G.S., Revichandran, C. et al. Modelling of tidal hydrodynamics for a tropical ecosystem with implications for pollutant dispersion (Cohin Estuary, Southwest India). Ocean Dynamics 58, 259–273 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-008-0153-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-008-0153-6