Time-Dependent, Two-Dimensional Model for Predicting the Distribution of Drilling Muds Discharged to Shallow Water

摘要

A simple method for predicting the concentration of suspended solids is developed and tested. The model can be used in shallow waters to evaluate the impact of drilling mud discharge. The method is based upon a solution to the time-dependent, two-dimensional convective-diffusion equation. Principal assumptions are that ocean turbulence gives rise to diffusion-like processes which are horizontally isotropic and independent of scale, currents are constant in magnitude and direction, and settling of particles is characterized by the settling velocities of several particle classes. Results of model predictions are compared to field measurements from the Gulf of Alaska and Norton Sound, Alaska. The FORTRAN source code for implementing the method on small computers is also provided.