Author(s): Laure Sicard; Pilar Garcia-Navarro; Sergio Martinez-Aranda

Linked Author(s): Pilar García-Navarro, Sergio Martínez-aranda

Keywords: GPU; Multi-layer; Numerical model; Suspended transport

Abstract: Hydrodynamic models have been developed across a wide range of fields to accurately represent water fluxes in natural environments. However, complex systems such as estuaries remain challenging to simulate due to their highly dynamic and three-dimensional nature. High-resolution 3D models can provide a more detailed representation of these systems, but they are computationally demanding and require additional parameters to account for processes such as sediment transport, which plays a key role in estuarine dynamics. The model presented in this study was developed to provide an accurate representation of hydrodynamic processes while also approximating the vertical distribution of suspended sediment concentration through a multi-layer approach. The model was tested using observations and results from a previous study of the Guadalquivir Estuary, with a particular focus on hyper-turbid events. This case study was used to evaluate the model's ability to reproduce both the hydrodynamic conditions and the main patterns of sediment concentration within the water column. The results demonstrate the potential of the multi-layer approach as a computationally efficient method for representing sediment dynamics in complex estuarine environments.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64697/iahr.proc.hic2026.69

Year: 2026