Effects of Environmental Factors on Suspended Sediment Plumes in the Continental Shelf Out of Danshuei River Estuary

The effects of environmental factors on suspended sediment plumes in the continental shelf out of the Danshuei River estuary were numerically investigated using an unstructured-grid three-dimensional hydrodynamic model (SCHISM) together with a suspended sediment (SS) module. The coupled model (SCHISM-SS) was calibrated and validated against the in situ measurement data in 2016. Consistent with the observation results, the model simulations satisfactorily reproduced the water levels, velocities, salinities, and suspended sediment concentrations. The model was then applied to explore the role of various environmental factors in the dynamics of suspended sediment plumes from the estuary to the adjacent coastal seas. These factors include tidal forcing, salinity, river discharge, and wind stress. Analysis and comparisons of different scenario results indicated that the suspended sediment plume was greatly affected by tides, e.g., a longer plume distance resulted from a larger flux under tidal motions. A higher sediment concentration in the plume in the offshore area was also found during the neap tide, relative to that observed during the spring tide. In addition, salinity affects the movement of density currents and the spread of the sediment plume, i.e., the plume distance is longer due to the residual circulation when a salinity difference is present. Further, an extreme river flow could occur during typhoon periods and would discharge a greater water volume into the coastal region, causing the suspended sediment plume to expand from the near shore. Finally, the directions of prevailing winds can slightly influence the sediment plumes.