A Two-dimensional Vertical Numerical Model of Tidal Flow and Its Application to the North Passage of the Changjiang River Estuary

:A two-dimensional vertical finite element model of estuarine tidal flow has been established by laterally integrating Navier-Stokes equation. To this end, the moving grids finite element method has been used. An arbitrarily shaped quadrilateral element has been selected. This model has been validated by using field data from two monitoring stations at the North Passage of the Changjiang River estuary. Using this numerical model, two types of modeled results have been obtained: ( 1 ) vertical profiles of tidal current velocities at two stations; ( 2 ) longitudinal distributions of tidal current velocities at the North Passage of the Changjiang River estuary. It is suggested that there could be a reasonable agreement between modeled and observed results for tidal elevations and vertical profiles of tidal current velocities.