Delaware River and Bay Hydrodynamic Simulations with FVCOM

The circulation of the Delaware River and Bay (DRB) was investigated using the three-dimensional primitive equation Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM). Model-simulated hydrodynamics (water level, current velocity, salinity, and temperature) are compared against observations collected during the National Ocean Service (NOS) 1984–1985 circulation survey (NOS 1985). The model was forced with water levels and temperature/salinity climatology from the World Ocean Atlas along the offshore open boundary. Surface winds and heat flux from the North America Regional Reanalysis (NARR) were used for surface forcing. The model was calibrated with two scenario runs: (1) astronomical tide simulation (barotropic) and (2) three-dimensional hindcast simulation (baroclinic). A six month synoptic hindcast simulation was run from a one-month spinup to a quasi-steady-state density field. The model performance was evaluated by comparison of the observations and the model simulations using NOS skill assessment procedures. At most stations, the root mean square errors (RMSE) are less than: 15 cm for water levels, 20 cm s^–1 for current speeds, 20 degrees for current directions, 3°C for the temperature, and 3 psu for the salinity, respectively.