Pollutant dispersion in the nearshore region: modelling and measurements

Some results on pollutant dispersion modelling and tracer measurements for the Mediterranean Spanish coast are presented. Two hydrodynamic models have been used to simulate wind and wave induced circulation in the nearshore and surf zones respectively. A “near field” model has been used in order to simulate the initial conditions for the local “far field” dispersion model. Two study cases are presented: The first one shows the mixing of conservative tracers in a Mediterranean surf zone from an experimental and numerical models used to predict bacterial dispersion from the main sea outfalls of Barcelona City. The comparison between dye dispersion experiments and model in the surf zone is good, while the outfall predictions show the importance of accurately modelling the effects of buoyancy on the plume.