Incremental Improvements in Chesapeake Bay Environmental Model Package
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 5
Abstract
The performance of the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Model Package is examined in four steps of model development. The steps include initial application, grid refinements, addition of living resources, and grid refinements with recalibration. Performance statistics are presented for the mainstem bay and for the James River, a major tributary. Computed salinity has the lowest relative error. Computed total phosphorus and surface chlorophyll have the greatest relative error. Errors in the bay are lower than in the James River. The capacity of the model has increased substantially over more than a decade but quantitative performance, measured by the summary statistics, has reached a plateau. Limited spatial sampling, uncertainty in loading, and difficulty in assigning boundary conditions are among the factors that limit the accuracy that can be attained with the model.
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Acknowledgments
The CBEMP is sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Program Office, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and by the U.S. Army Engineers Baltimore District. Permission was granted by the Chief of Engineers to publish this information.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 5 • May 2005
Pages: 745 - 754
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 9, 2003
Accepted: Aug 16, 2004
Published online: May 1, 2005
Published in print: May 2005
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