Influence of turbulence closure on estuarine sediment dynamics and morphodynamics

Turbulence significantly impacts hydrodynamics, mixing and sediment dynamics in coastal environments. We employ a three-dimensional model, the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Coastal Ocean Modeling System (POLCOMS), to investigate the effects of implementing various turbulence closure schemes on sediment dynamics and morphodynamics. This model is applied to an idealized estuary, which is represented by a straight rectangular basin. A simple tidal flow is forced at one end and a constant river flow is imposed at the other. Most of the turbulence closure schemes employed are implemented via coupling to the General Ocean Turbulence Model (GOTM). Their effects are also compared to the impact of different erosion parameterizations on the numerical results and observed for different sediment properties.