Contaminant contraction in two-dimensional oscillatory flows (Q1312886)

Based on the two-dimensional dispersion theory, the authors try to solve the contaminant diffusion problem in bays, estuaries, tidal rivers and shallow waters. The flows are unsteady because of the effects of tide and waves. The authors seek a solution \(C(x,y,z,t)\) of the unsteady advection-diffusion equation \({\partial C\over\partial t} + u{\partial C\over\partial x} + v {\partial C\over\partial y} = K_{xx} {\partial C\over\partial x} + K_{yy} {\partial C\over\partial y} + K_{zz} {\partial C\over\partial z} + q\) under the condition \(\partial C/\partial n\mid_{\partial A}=0\), where \(u(z,t)\), \(v(z,t)\) are components of the horizontal velocity, \(q\) is the source term, \(K_{ij}\) is the diffusivity. Substituting new variables into the two-dimensional delay- diffusion equation derived by the authors and then taking the vertical- averaged values and truncating the second and higher derivative terms, they get the equation \[ \begin{multlined} {\partial\overline C\over\partial t} + u{\partial\overline C\over\partial x} + v{\partial\overline C\over\partial z} - K_{xx} {\partial^ 2\overline C\over\partial x^ 2} -K_{yy}{\partial^ 2\overline C\over \partial y^ 2}-\\ -\int^ \infty_ 0 \Bigl[{{\partial D_{xx}} \over {\partial\tau}} {\partial^ 2\over\partial x^ 2} + \Bigl({{\partial D_{xy}} \over {\partial\tau}} + {{\partial D_{yx}} \over {\partial\tau}} \Bigr) {\partial^ 2\over\partial x\partial y} + {\partial D_{yy}\over\partial\tau} {\partial^ 2\over\partial y^ 2}\Bigr]\overline {C} (x-X,y-Y,t- \tau)d\tau=\overline q(x,y,t).\end{multlined} \] Following a process proposed earlier by the first author, they obtain dispersion coefficients, variance and central displacements of contaminant cloud for the two- dimensional oscillatory flow. It is found that \(\partial D_{ij}/\partial\tau\) may be negative when \(\tau\) is large. This explains the contaminant cloud contraction in two-dimensional oscillatory flows.