Model behavior and sensitivity in an application of the cohesive bed component of the community sediment transport modeling system for the York River estuary, VA, USA

Kelsey A. Fall; Courtney K. Harris; Carl T. Friedrichs; J. Paul Rinehimer; Christopher R. Sherwood

doi:10.3390/jmse2020413

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Model behavior and sensitivity in an application of the cohesive bed component of the community sediment transport modeling system for the York River estuary, VA, USA

Kelsey A. Fall·Courtney K. Harris·Carl T. Friedrichs·J. Paul Rinehimer·Christopher R. Sherwood

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Abstract

The Community Sediment Transport Modeling System (CSTMS) cohesive bed sub-model that accounts for erosion, deposition, consolidation, and swelling was implemented in a three-dimensional domain to represent the York River estuary, Virginia. The objectives of this paper are to (1) describe the application of the three-dimensional hydrodynamic York Cohesive Bed Model, (2) compare calculations to observations, and (3) investigate sensitivities of the cohesive bed sub-model to user-defined parameters. Model results for summer 2007 showed good agreement with tidal-phase averaged estimates of sediment concentration, bed stress, and current velocity derived from Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) field measurements. An important step in implementing the cohesive bed model was specification of both the initial and equilibrium critical shear stress profiles, in addition to choosing other parameters like the consolidation and swelling timescales. This model promises to be a useful tool for investigating the fundamental controls on bed erodibility and settling velocity in the York River, a classical muddy estuary, provided that appropriate data exists to inform the choice of model parameters.

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Journal of Marine Science and Engineering Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 36.758690821098426° to 37.572882155556194° latitude; -77.20367431640625° to -75.87432861328125° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Kelsey A. Fall, Courtney K. Harris, Carl T. Friedrichs, J. Paul Rinehimer, Christopher R. Sherwood. 2014-05-14. Model behavior and sensitivity in an application of the cohesive bed component of the community sediment transport modeling system for the York River estuary, VA, USA. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse2020413

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