Computational hydrodynamic modelling of the Petitcodiac Estuary (New Brunswick).

摘要

Over the years, barriers have been built on estuarine rivers for various purposes. The introduction of these structures changes, possibly irreversibly, the hydrodynamic and sediment regimes, resulting in great impacts to the ecosystem. The present study focuses on the Petitcodiac River, located in southeastern New Brunswick, Canada, at the head of the Bay of Fundy. In 1968, a causeway was built across the Petitcodiac River between the city of Moncton and the town of Riverview to protect agricultural lands from salt water. The purpose of this study was to simulate the hydraulic behaviour of the Petitcodiac Estuary, a well-mixed system driven by one of the highest tides in the world, in order to subsequently predict the associated sediment transport. Six scenarios, each corresponding to the incremental increase of opening the sluice gates (i.e., one to five) and the removal of the causeway, were analyzed under various conditions.; To adequately simulate the particularities of the estuary, a three-dimensional (3D) finite element shelf circulation model entitled, "QUODDY" (Lynch et al., 1996) was selected. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)