Validation Studies of Models TEA and ELA in Boston Harbor and Mass Bay

摘要

The two-dimensional models TEA and ELA are being used to help site a diffuseroutfall in western Massachusetts Bay to convey sewage effluent from the MWRA's proposed secondary treatment plant on Deer Island. The model validation study complements the siting effort by comparing measured tidal and low-frequency currents in western Mass Bay against simulation with TEA and by comparing the measured concentrations of halocarbon tracers, discharged from the existing Deer and Nut Island outfalls, against corresponding simulations with ELA. An extensive sensitivity study is also performed to identify the sensitivity of simulated concentrations to outfall location, pollutant decay rate, model representation of tidal and low-frequency currents, dispersion, near-field representation and treatment of the open boundary. The study follows previous model validation effort in Boston Harbor reported by Kossik et al. (1986).