Modelling sensitivities to mixing and advection in a sill-basin estuarine system

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ocemod.2017.02.008
• Publication Date: 2017-02-27T21:32:57Z
• Authors: Nancy Soontiens; Susan E. Allen
• Keywords: Sill; Internal tide

This study investigates the sensitivity of a high resolution regional ocean model to several choices in mixing and advection. The oceanographic process examined is deep water renewal event Juan de Fuca Strait–Strait Georgia sill-basin estuarine system located on west coast North America. Previous observational work has shown that timing events linked spring/neap tidal cycle, turn, sensitive amount vertical induced by currents interacting with sills complicated bathymetry. It found model’s representation relatively insensitive choices, including turbulence closure direction lateral mixing. No significant difference or intermediate salinity was between cases used k−ϵ versus k−ω closures isoneutral horizontal Modifications had stronger effect included those involved advection such as modifying open boundary conditions which supply source waters for event. strongest impact came from removal Hollingsworth instability, kinetic energy sink energy-enstrophy discretization momentum equations. A marked improvement suggests instability will correct fresh drift an operational version this model.