Sangam: A Confluence of Knowledge Streams

An analysis of a numerical tidal model applied to the Columbia River.

Show simple item record

dc.contributor Thornton, Edward B.
dc.contributor Wu, Chung-Shang
dc.contributor Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
dc.contributor Oceanography
dc.creator Koehler, Richard Bruce
dc.date September 1988
dc.date 2012-11-27T18:05:51Z
dc.date 2012-11-27T18:05:51Z
dc.date 1988-09
dc.date.accessioned 2022-05-19T07:47:42Z
dc.date.available 2022-05-19T07:47:42Z
dc.identifier http://hdl.handle.net/10945/22893
dc.identifier.uri http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/CUHPOERS/100209
dc.description An implicit finite difference model for predicting flood routing is applied to the lower Columbia River, where tidal forcing causes flow reversals interacting with upstream dam flow during small river flow periods. The model is one-dimensional, unsteady, including lateral inflow and variable bed friction for different channel sections. A comparison of stages at six stations was made for a sensitivity analysis. The analysis used a total of 2209 hours of simulated river stages. Downstream boundary changes of ±0.5 feet and ±2.0 feet were made to the Astoria tide stages. Model simulations showed that 70% of the tide difference appears at Vancouver and Portland, 80% at St. Helens, 85% at Longview, 93% at Wauna and 95% at Skamokawa. Varying the upstream boundary condition (Bonneville Dam discharges) by ±10% and ±25% were markedly different from the downstream boundary changes. Upstream, where the tide influence is weakest, the tidal cycle is more likely to be "washed out" by the higher flows of the Columbia. Also these changes fluctuated with the tide cycle. Downstream stations did not show such differences because of the larger cross section areas of the Columbia River nearer the mouth and the proximity to the downstream boundary condition. The river system was calibrated in a downstream to upstream direction and used a total of 606 hours of observed river stages. Three periods with distinct river flow conditions were used in the calibration. Regression analyses of the computed residual values for each of the stations gave correlation coefficients (r²) less than 0.360. However, cross correlations between residual and computed stages showed that the two series were highly sinusoidally correlated for all stations. A spectral estimation of the residuals exhibited very strong peaks at frequencies of 0.081 hr ¹ (12.3 hrs), 0.042 hr¹ (24.0 hrs) and subsequent harmonics of these frequencies. The residual components are strongly associated with the tidal cycle.
dc.description http://archive.org/details/analysisofnumeri00koeh
dc.description Lieutenant, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
dc.description Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
dc.format 73 p.
dc.format application/pdf
dc.language en_US
dc.rights This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
dc.subject implicit finite difference model
dc.subject Columbia-Willamette River stage simulations
dc.subject stage error analysis
dc.subject sensitivity analysis
dc.title An analysis of a numerical tidal model applied to the Columbia River.
dc.type Thesis


Files in this item

Files Size Format View
analysisofnumeri00koeh.pdf 4.569Mb application/pdf View/Open

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record

Search DSpace


Advanced Search

Browse