ADCIRC (Advanced Circulation) Model

Advanced Circulation Model (ADCIRC) is based

on the finite element codes that solve the shallow
water equation on unstructured triangular grids.
Two and three dimensional finite element model
used for hydrodynamic circulation problems.
Solution strategy: Finite element method (FEM)
for spatial, and finite difference method (FDM)
for temporal.

Versions of ADCIRC
2D-DI
The ADCIRC 2DDI is a two-dimensional depth-integrated model that solves sea
surface elevation and depth-averaged velocity U and V. (Luettich et al. 1992)

ADTRANS
The ADCIRC 2D Tranport is a two-dimensional depth-integrated model that solves
sea surface elevation , depth-averaged velocity U and V, and depth-averaged
concentration (S, T or C) (Scheffner, 1999)

3D-VS

(currently used)

The three-dimensional model, ADCIRC 3D-VS (Velocity Solution) applies a modesplitting technique to solve the vertical profile of horizontal velocity u and v (Luettich et
al., 2002)

surface-following coordinate system

=a

z=(x,y,t)

=a

ab z
H

=b

z=-h

= a = 1 at the free surface and = b = -1 at the bottom, H = h +

1
18

Example: 21 -layers

19

20

21

17

0.8

16
15

0.6

14

0.4

13

- layer

0.2

12

11

-0.2

10

-0.4

-0.6
7

-0.8
-1 1
0

6
5
2

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5
(h+ )/H

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

Chain rule relates derivatives

along the z-level to the stretched -level

[
[

]
]

b a h
=

x z x

x
ab z ab x z z

b a h
=

y z y ab y z ab y z z

ab
=
z
H
H
z= ab

Where:

H h

Governing
Equations

H UH VH

=0
t
x
y

Continuity Equation

U , V = depth averaged vertical velocities

Horizontal Momentum
Equations
u u u
ab u
t

fv = g

ab zx
m x b x

x
H 0

v v v
ab v

ab zy
u v
fu = g m y b y

t x y
H
x
H 0

Vertical Momentum
Equation

ab p
g=0
H z

u = u(x,y,,t) ; v = v(x,y,,t) ; = (x,y,,t) ;

Governing Equations
Solving Vertical Velocity
1
k1 k =
ab

k1

u H v H

t
x
y

k = node number over vertical

element

The solution k will satisfy the bottom boundary condition only. In

order to satisfy the free surface, the adjoint correction is applied based
on Luettich and Muccino (2001), Muccino et al. (1997) and Pandoe and
Edge (2003):
adj =

b HL

ab
2 HL
ab
ab

() is the misfit of surface boundary condition at the free surface ,

L is the weight of the relative contribution of the boundary conditions
versus the interior solution

Governing Equations

Salinity, Temperature and Sediment Transport

C
C
C
C
u
v
s
=
t
x
y

C
ab
Dh

Dh

x
x
y
y
H

Dv

C
SS

SS = the source/sink terms;

C = salinity [psu], temperature [C] or sediment concentration [g/l]
Dv = vertical mixing coefficient computed using the second moment turbulence
closure scheme of Mellor and Yamada (1982)

Temperature:

SS=

ab Q pen
o C p H

ab
H

Sediment
Concentration:

Dv

Q pen =0 . 45 Q short exp h

Q ns
T
=

o C p

SS = E D

= penetrating solar radiation

[W/m2]
at z
at

z -h

E and D represent erosion and deposition flux of suspended sediment, respectively

Density:

x , y , = N [ T x , y , , S x , y , ]
x , y , = [ C x , y , ]

International Equation of State of

Sea Water, IES80
(Soulsby, 1997)

Governing Equations

Baroclinic and Barotropic

Pressure gradient in the equation of motion is generated by two factors:
water surface slope (baroclinic) and water density difference (baroclinic)
z

=
0

vertical shear =

Baroclinic

Barotropic

pz

=
g dz
x
x z

= g
z

Pressure grad. =

dz
x

Baroclinic (bx) +

Barotropic

Final form Baroclinic terms in -coordinate

a
N
system:
b a h N
g H
bx =
[

] d

H x
H x
ab x

g H a N
by

a b y

b a h
H

N is a normalized in situ density (Robertson et al, 2001)

N
d
y