THE PARTICLE TRACKING MODEL: DESCRIPTION AND PROCESSES

摘要

Accurate prediction of the fate of sediments and other water-borne particulates is a key element in coastal engineering and dredged material management. These predictions are used to assess the impact of dredging and placement operations on contaminant transport, sensitive habitat, endangered species, rehandling, and beneficial use activity. The Particle Tracking Model (PTM), a Lagrangian particle tracker, addresses these needs by simulating sediment movement of multiple sediment types in a flow field. Although a versatile model currently utilized in various coastal and river applications, PTM is specifically designed to predict the fate of material released during dredging and placement operations, and to address the stability and fate of in-place sediment including dredged-material mounds, sediment caps, and contaminated sediment deposits. PTM combines accurate and efficient transport computations with effective visualization tools, making it useful for assessment of dredging practices and proposed dredging operations. The model operates in the Surface-water Modeling System (SMS) Version 9 and contains algorithms that appropriately represent transport, settling, deposition, mixing, and resuspension processes in nearshore wave/current conditions.