Sensitivity of the Estuarine-shelf Exchange in Mississippi Coastal Waters to River Diversions and Linkage Pathway Bathymetry: A Modeling Study

<p>The exchange flow between the Mississippi (MS) Sound and Bight is an intricate circulation pattern that affects many important regional processes, including flushing time, sediment transport, and larval dispersion. This study examines the exchange flow in the MS Sound by estimating the volume transport and salt transport along the seven tidal inlets in 2019 by using msbCOAWST, the specifically designed coupled model’s configuration to simulate the complex hydrodynamic environment in the MS Sound and Bight. This year is marked by extreme events of the Bonnet Carré Spillway (BCS) double opening which introduces a considerable amount of freshwater input to the Mississippi (MS) Sound during its operation. The set of twin experiments proposed for this research seeks to explore and improve the sensitivity of the estuarine-shelf exchange in the Mississippi Coastal Waters through BCS diversion and channel implementation between Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne in 2019. In conclusion, the msbCOAWST simulates the water level better in the MS Sound compared to the interior of Lake Pontchartrain. The deepening and widening of the Rigolets channel and Chef Menteur Pass are essential to improve the msbCOAWST performance to simulate water level and salinity regimes dynamics in the western MS Sound. The atmospheric event of Hurricane Barry is also apparent to influence the exchange flow in MS Sound and adjacent waters. Finally, the impact of BCS and deepening and widening of the channel implementation across the seven tidal inlets in 2019 are quantified and illustrated.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters Thesis

Year dc:date.available

2025

Author dc:creator

• Rizal, Ardian M

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Jerry Wiggert
• Dr. Mustafa Kemal Cambazoglu
• Dr. Stephan D. Howden

• Exchange flow
• River Diversions
• Waterway
• Model
• Mississippi Coast
• Fluid Dynamics
• Numerical Analysis and Computation
• Oceanography

Repository record dc:identifier

https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1152

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:aquila.usm.edu:masters_theses-2264