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Numerical Study of the Hydrodynamic and Sediment Transport Process in a Subtropical Water Reservoir: the Impacts of Storms and Winds

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Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) numerical model was developed to investigate the thermodynamic and sediment processes in a subtropical drinking water reservoir. Data-driven models were also established to generate the inflow conditions. The modelling outputs revealed that climatic forces such as storms and winds significantly impact lake stratification and mixing processes. The sediment transport is driven by storm events, during which sediment delivery to the reservoir is dominated by allochthonous flux. The sediments are transported from riverine zones to transition zones and finally to lacustrine zones. It is estimated that sediment accumulation could have reached 100,000 kg during the largest storm event in February 2015. The winds can lead to a strong vertical water cycle, especially at the centre of the reservoir, and strong winds result in bed erosion in shallow regions. The outcomes of this paper benefit future research by providing a modelling approach for understanding the hydrodynamics of lakes and reservoirs under a variable climate, and also the local water utility by providing insights for an improved management of the reservoir of this study.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI) Water and Environment for their assistance in providing the MIKE modelling system for this study. This research work was conducted with the technical and financial support of Seqwater and Griffith University.

Funding

This research was partially funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council (ARC LP160100217).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4222, Australia

    Xinchen Wang, Hong Zhang, Edoardo Bertone & Rodney A. Stewart

  2. Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4222, Australia

    Xinchen Wang, Hong Zhang, Edoardo Bertone & Rodney A. Stewart

  3. Field Services, Seqwater, 117 Brisbane St., Ipswich, Queensland, 4305, Australia

    Kelvin O’Halloran

Authors
  1. Xinchen Wang
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  2. Hong Zhang
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  3. Edoardo Bertone
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  4. Rodney A. Stewart
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  5. Kelvin O’Halloran
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Correspondence to Hong Zhang.

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Highlights

• Coupled data-driven and numerical model of a shallow water reservoir.

• Storm and winds have significant impacts on the lake stratification and mixing processes.

• Sediment transport dominated by allochthonous flux during storms.

• Strong winds result in the bed erosion in shallow regions of the lake.

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Wang, X., Zhang, H., Bertone, E. et al. Numerical Study of the Hydrodynamic and Sediment Transport Process in a Subtropical Water Reservoir: the Impacts of Storms and Winds. Environ Model Assess 25, 843–860 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10666-020-09719-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10666-020-09719-5

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