Contaminant transport in a temperature-stratified reservoir

An unsteady 2D reservoir hydrodynamics and transport model is used to simulate mixing and transport of a spilled conservative chemical plume in a stratified reservoir. The occurrence of three flow regimes (plunging flow, underflow and interflow) are identified and their behavior are captured by analyzing the model results. The 2D simulations gain insight into the flow field such as the spread of the spill and transport processes of the plume. Simulation results are compared with field data for water temperature and contaminant concentration collected in the reservoir during the emergency response to the spill. This study also quantifies the effects of inflow boundary condition, ambient stratification, and geometry on the behavior of a density-induced current in a stratified reservoir through numerical experiments with the validated 2D simulation model. The results can assist in contamination control and remediation after a toxic chemical spill, guide field sampling during the spill, and provide information useful for water quality management.