EMECO

Hydrodynamic Models

The term “hydrodynamic” means “water movement”. Such models represent (simulate) movement of water and heat in oceans and coastal seas and it is these physical properties that play an extremely important role in determining the nature of marine ecosystems. Factors that govern the hydrodynamics of marine  systems include inputs of freshwater from land with the associated nutrients and contaminants, wind speed, rain fall, and heating of the surface waters by the sun. Of particular importance for our shallow shelf-seas are the processes that lead to water exchange with the open oceans. Such exchanges results in transport of nutrients and also plankton that can have major effects on the productivity and structure of marine communities.

EMECO partners use a range of different hydrodynamic models. Most of these were used in a recent workshop held at Cefas Eutmod. More details can be found there or via the partner websites.  Specific examples include the General Estuarine Transport Model (GETM), and the Princeton Ocean Model (POM).

GOTM 

The General Ocean Turbulence Model (GOTM) is a one-dimensional water column model for the most important hydrodynamic and thermodynamic processes related to vertical mixing in natural waters. GOTM can be readily coupled to 3-D circulation models, and used as a module for the computation of vertical turbulent mixing. The strength of GOTM is the vast number of well-tested turbulence models that have been implemented in the code. Since its introduction, GOTM has been developed to include added parts e.g. sediment transport, ocean-atmosphere interactions.

GETM 

GETM is a 3D numerical model simulating the most important hydrodynamic and thermodynamic processes in natural waters. The model is applicable to various systems, scales and specifications. The model has many part, including flooding and drying of tidal flats, flexible vertical and horizontal coordinate systems, different turbulence models integrated from GOTM. GETM is a Public Domain model published under GNU Public Licence.

 
More Information about GOTM