Circulation and Flushing in Casco Bay, Maine

Gong, Bin; Pearce, Bryan R.; ,

Circulation and Flushing in Casco Bay, Maine

by Bin Gong, Univ of Maine, Orono, United States,
Bryan R. Pearce, (M.ASCE), Univ of Maine, Orono, United States,

Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Computing in Civil Engineering

Abstract:

A modified 3-D hydrodynamic numerical model MECCA (Model for Estuarine and Coastal Circulation Assessment; Hess, 1989) has been applied to Casco Bay, Maine, with a horizontal resolution of 600 meters and a 80 by 69 grid. Due to the complex topography, 10 levels were chosen to represent the vertical velocity profile. Tidal open-boundary conditions were calculated from a model of the entire Gulf of Maine, 3DENS (Sucsy, 1993). Density boundary conditions were obtained from Casco Bay hydrographic cruises (Pettigrew, 1992 and 1993) and hydrologic data. The general circulation driven by tide (M2) and density gradients along the open-boundary was simulated. The influence of freshwater discharge from rivers, such as the Kennebec, have been considered for two typical seasons: summer with warm surface water and low run-off; and spring with high run-off and nearly isothermal bay water. Flushing has also been studied in Maquoit and Middle Bays, a part of Casco Bay.

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