Numerical modelling of density induced currents

In coastal water bodies such as estuaries, lagoons, inlets or bays, where thehorizontal length scale is much larger than the vertical one, density of sea watermay vary throughout the water depth (vertical) and also in the horizontal plane.Generally, the shallowness of water depths causes density gradients to be larger inthe horizontal plane than the vertical plane. The density of sea water is a functionof its salt content (or salinity), its temperature, and to a much lesser degree, itspressure. Throughout the water depth, due to increasing hydrostatic pressure,density increases as well. However since the water particles moving up anddown are compressed by the same amount, the forces in balance are notinfluenced by this compression. So, water having a variable density, could stillbe assumed as incompressible in the momentum equations. It is evident that,the density distribution mainly depends on the distribution of temperature andsalinity. In this thesis work, change of water density and density induced currentsin the coastal water bodies have been investigated. In the numerical studies, athree dimensional numerical model has been used. Model has been applied toFethiye Bay and density induced currents in the Bay have been simulated.