Simplified circulation and mixing models of Moreton Bay, Queensland

Abstract

An investigation of water motions in Moreton Bay has employed existing data on tide heights and salinity to establish and check a quasi-two-dimensional mathematical model of the Bay. Agreement between model and prototype tide levels is good, and the predicted circulation patterns are generally similar to the clockwise circulation inferred by earlier workers. Because of the uncontrolled numerical dispersion in the model, the predicted salinity distributions show only fair agreement with the measured values.

Overall, the study identifies the following needs for further modelling: adequate treatment of multiple ocean entrances, detailed sensitivity tests, more extensive field data and more sophisticated models.