Hydrodynamics of Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound - Net Cross Channel Flows in Mobile Bay

摘要

Mobile Bay is located on the northeastern shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico east of the Mississippi River delta. The study was initiated to determine whether a numerical hydrodynamic model would indicate any tendency to produce circulation patterns consistent with an asymmetric spreading of the dredged material. The sediment transport problem is extremely complex to model properly. The deposition and resuspension process combined with the generally long time frame associated with sediment movement are difficult to represent in a numerical model. As a first approximation to the problem, sediment transport is considered as being related to net fluid transport. A partially calibrated and verified numerical model of Mobile Bay and East Mississippi Sound is applied and net flow rates across the main channel are evaluated.