A Lagrangian Transport Model Applied to two Different Brackish Systems: the Baltic Sea and the Guadalquivir River

Abstract

the nuclear contamination and other passive particles in the ocean. As a consequence of the Chernobyl accident (April, 26th, 1986), the radioactive plume drift over many countries in Europe, and after some days, the Baltic Sea became the most contaminated ecosystem beyond the Soviet Union. Our Dispersion Model has been validated in this system in order to be useful in other oceanic scenarios affected by radioactive fallout in the future. These investigations could be an interesting tool to predict and minimize the ecological and economical impacts of future accidents and can also be extended to non-nuclear contamination problems such as: oil accidents, chemical contamination, nutrients dynamics and other ecological problems. A new application devoted to the Guadalquivir River has been implemented with the methods used and validated for the Baltic Sea. This transport model is a first step for future applications to passive particles problems such as nutrients, chemical contamination, metals, suspended sediments, etc., or other active parts like salt and fresh water. A deeper knowledge on the Guadalquivir river estuary is being demanding for many socioeconomic and ecological applications in the future.