Determination of Constituent Models for Process-Based Morphological Model of the Yangtze Estuary

摘要

The constituent models for the morphological Yangtze Estuary modelwere investigated in this paper. Two methods, the decompositionmethod based on measurements and the assembling method by aprocess-based model were used to evaluate the mechanismscontributing to sediment transport around the mouth bar of the YangtzeEstuary. The result showed that besides discharge and tides, the densitydrive current (gravitational circulation) largely contributed to thesediment transport in the estuary. It is highly recommended that themorphological model of the Yangtze Estuary should include the salinityprocess with 3D simulation.