Finite element modeling of sediment dynamics in the Scheldt

Abstract

A densely populated watershed and numerous industrial activities, are responsible for the Scheldt Estuary and River to be highly polluted. Water and sediment circulation are major processes contributing to the global dynamics of the various pollutions. The objective of this thesis is to develop a numerical tool in order to make possible simulations of those environmental issues. The finite element technique enables the use of unstructured meshes, so that the spatial resolution can vary widely over the domain. In our implementation, we combine 1D equations for rivers and 2D equations for estuaries and seas. Nevertheless, the tidal river network, the estuary and the adjacent coastal zone are simulated in the same framework. The Scheldt Estuary features large shallow areas that are periodically emerging at low tide. This phenomenon is a numerical challenge in estuarine modeling. A flux-limiting method has been developed, which modifies the discrete form of the governing equations, in order to prevent the water surface to go down where it is already very low. The last contribution is the development of the sediment transport module. Its calibration pointed out the influence of suspended sediment concentration, salinity and biology on flocculation, as the influence of the biology on the erodibility of bottom sediments. Our 1D-2D model, with a very competitive computer cost, appears to provide results as accurate as those from more complex, three-dimensional tools, traditionally deemed indispensable in sediment transport modeling. Our approach appears therefore to be very promising for long-term environmental simulations of the Scheldt.(FSA 3) -- UCL, 201