Unstructured-grid ocean modeling: some applications with the Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model

Abstract: 

The Unstructured-grid Finite-volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) has become a very popular numerical tool in recent years. In this talk, the basic features of FVCOM will be introduced with some examples of model validation experiments to demonstrate its performance. Following that, two cases of model applications will be described in details. In the first case, the model was used to assess the initial spread of radionuclide 137Cs from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant after the tragic March 11, 2011 Tōhoku M9.0 earthquake-induced tsunami and coastal inundation along the Japanese coast. In the second case, a more recent application of the model to the study of estuarine plume dynamics in the Pearl River Estuary, China will be discussed. Both cases clearly show the advantage of FVCOM in certain coastal and estuarine problems that require large grid flexibility to resolve multi-scale dynamics.