NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SEDIMENTATION IN ESTUARY-CASE STUDY KHOUR MUSA, SOUTH OF IRAN

Sedimentation is one the main aspects in the studies of estuaries, due to high level of expenditure for their dredging. Therefore, various 2D and 3D models have been developed to simulate the process of sediment transport and its settlement in estuaries and their access channel. Khour Musa is one of the main estuaries in south of Iran Over the years a significant sedimentation has been alternatively observed in its access channel, which has a significant impact on marine transportation between the outside ports with the Imam Khomeini port in that area. Therefore, in this paper a 3D hydrodynamic numerical model has been applied to simulate the characteristics of sedimentation and its dependence on the interaction of upstream flow density and solid particles (sediment concentration) and downstream flow salinity. The results will be compared with the field measurements made in Khour Musa estuary. This study emphasizes on three dimensional numerical hydrodynamic models in combination with a fieldwork-based set-up of a cohesive sediment transport model.