Version 1
: Received: 7 November 2024 / Approved: 8 November 2024 / Online: 8 November 2024 (07:28:11 CET)
How to cite:
Castro-Olivares, A.; Des, M.; DeCastro, M.; Pereira, H.; Picado, A.; Días, J. M.; Gómez-Gesteira, M. Coupled Hydrodynamic and Biogeochemical Modeling in the Galician Rías Baixas (NW Iberian Peninsula) Using Delft3D: Model Validation and Performance. Preprints2024, 2024110585. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.0585.v1
Castro-Olivares, A.; Des, M.; DeCastro, M.; Pereira, H.; Picado, A.; Días, J. M.; Gómez-Gesteira, M. Coupled Hydrodynamic and Biogeochemical Modeling in the Galician Rías Baixas (NW Iberian Peninsula) Using Delft3D: Model Validation and Performance. Preprints 2024, 2024110585. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.0585.v1
Castro-Olivares, A.; Des, M.; DeCastro, M.; Pereira, H.; Picado, A.; Días, J. M.; Gómez-Gesteira, M. Coupled Hydrodynamic and Biogeochemical Modeling in the Galician Rías Baixas (NW Iberian Peninsula) Using Delft3D: Model Validation and Performance. Preprints2024, 2024110585. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.0585.v1
APA Style
Castro-Olivares, A., Des, M., DeCastro, M., Pereira, H., Picado, A., Días, J. M., & Gómez-Gesteira, M. (2024). Coupled Hydrodynamic and Biogeochemical Modeling in the Galician Rías Baixas (NW Iberian Peninsula) Using Delft3D: Model Validation and Performance. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.0585.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Castro-Olivares, A., João Miguel Días and Moncho Gómez-Gesteira. 2024 "Coupled Hydrodynamic and Biogeochemical Modeling in the Galician Rías Baixas (NW Iberian Peninsula) Using Delft3D: Model Validation and Performance" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.0585.v1
Abstract
Estuaries are dynamic and resource-rich ecosystems renowned for their high productivity and ecological significance. The Rías Baixas, located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, consist of four highly productive estuaries that support the region's economy through key fisheries and aquaculture activities. Numerical modelling of biogeochemical processes in the rias is essential to address environmental and anthropogenic pressures, particularly in areas facing intense human development. This study presents a high-resolution water quality model developed using Delft3D software, integrating hydrodynamic (Delft3D-FLOW) and water quality (Delft3D-WAQ) modules. Calibration and validation demonstrate the robust performance and reliability of the model in simulating critical biogeochemical processes, such as nutrient cycling and phytoplankton dynamics. The model effectively captures seasonal and spatial variations in water quality parameters, including water temperature, salinity, inorganic nutrients, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll-a. Of the variables studied, the model performed best for dissolved oxygen, followed by nitrates, phosphates, ammonium, silicate and chlorophyll-a. While some discrepancies were observed in inner zones and deeper layers of the rias, overall performance metrics aligned closely with observed data, enhancing confidence in the model's utility for future research and resource management. These results highlight the model's value as a tool for research and managing water and marine resources in the Rías Baixas.
Keywords
Delft3D-WAQ; Iberian Peninsula; model performance; numerical modeling; Rías Baixas; water quality
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
