Numerical Modeling of Water Quality in Jiaozhou Bay, China

Abstract

A three-dimensional coupled physical and water quality model was developed and applied to Jiaozhou Bay to study water quality involving nutrients, biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, and phytoplankton. The water quality model is based on WASP5 which quantifies processes governing internal nutrients cycling, dissolved oxygen balance, and phytoplankton growth. The model was used to simulate the spatial distribution and the temporal variation of water quality in Jiaozhou Bay for period of May 2005 to May 2006. The simulation result shows that under the influence of nutrients discharge from river the concentrations of nutrients and phytoplankton were higher in the northwest and northeast of the bay, and decreased from the inner bay to the outer. Obvious seasonal variation of phytoplankton biomass was found, which exhibited two peaks in March and July, respectively.