Numerical modeling of surface flow and transport phenomena with applications to Lake Pontchartrain

Abstract

This article presents the capabilities of a numerical model, CCHE2D, by using its application to study the response of a highly complex water system, Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, under extreme conditions of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the flood water release from Bonnet Carré Spillway in 1997. The numerical simulations were validated using the field data collected by the US Geological Survey and US Army Corps of Engineers, as well as satellite imagery obtained from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The close agreements obtained with technically acceptable accuracy in both field properties and trends of their spatial and temporal variations fully demonstrated this model's usefulness in predicting the hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and salinity distribution of lakes under extreme flood forcing. This model provides a useful tool for lake water quality management.