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Utility and Limitations of Using Simplified and Complex Mathematical Models in Estuarine Water Quality Analysis |
James J. Fitzpatrick |
| Abstract Estuarine water quality modeling can trace its roots back to the early 1960's. While today’s water quality models are generally more complex (e.g., coupling to three-dimensional time-variable hydrodynamic models, number of chemical and biological state-variables, incorporation of sediment nutrient flux and benthos submodels, etc.) than the models of the early 1960's, simple models can still play a role in understanding processes affecting estuarine water quality. We will present insights into estuarine water quality, and in particular dissolved oxygen, in western Long Island Sound and the Massachusetts/Cape Cod Bays system that we have gained from using simplified and more modern state-of-the-science water quality models, respectively. In both cases the importance of physical processes appear to play an important role in determining the concentrations of bottom water dissolved oxygen. |
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