Three-Dimensional Simulation of Lake Ontario North-Shore Hydrodynamics and Contaminant Transport
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 141, Issue 3
Abstract
The hydrodynamics and contaminant transport in the nearshore region of Lake Ontario, from Port Hope to Cobourg, were simulated. The model results were comprehensively validated against observations of water level, temperature, and currents collected during April–September, 2010. The model generally agrees well with the observations. A RMS error of was simulated and normalized Fourier norm (between 0.45 and 1.17), indicating that both the thermal stratification and currents are well-simulated, respectively, and are comparable to other model applications. Internal Kelvin waves were not observed and the internal Poincaré wave oscillation was observed offshore, but not modeled. Rather, up-welling and down-welling events caused by southwesterly and northeasterly winds, respectively, were both modeled and observed to be the dominant large-scale hydrodynamic processes. The episodic events lasted for 4–5 days with the upwelling front extending offshore. The up-welling and down-welling events generated geostrophic alongshore currents or coastal jets of . The influence of these dynamics on the transport of river and wastewater-treatment plant plumes, toward drinking water intakes, was investigated using tracer release simulations. Tracer concentrations in the range of 10–0% (i.e., 70–90% dilution) were found at the Port Hope and Cobourg drinking water intakes. The tracer concentrations were primarily influenced by the proximity of the intakes to the plume origins and the wind direction, which governs the direction of the alongshore currents resulting from the up-welling and down-welling events. These results will help municipalities better understand the transport of contaminants in the nearshore zone relative to drinking water intakes.
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Acknowledgments
Funding was provided by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment Source Water Protection Technical Studies Program, the Region of Peel, Environment Canada, and Queen’s University. The model runs were simulated on computing facilities provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Innovation Trust. The writers thank J. Imberger at the Center for Water and Research (CWR) for providing the ELCOM source code and M. Peacock from the GRSPA for providing information on the STPs. Field observations and calibrations were coordinated by B. Rowsell from Environment Canada.
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Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 141 • Issue 3 • March 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 30, 2013
Accepted: Oct 2, 2014
Published online: Nov 19, 2014
Published in print: Mar 1, 2015
Discussion open until: Apr 19, 2015
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