A Random-walk, Particle Tracking Model for Well-mixed Estuaries and Coastal Waters

Random-walk particle tracking models have been advantageously applied to the simulation of transport by groundwater. This paper presents the development and analysis of a depth-averaged random-walk particle tracking model for simulating transport in vertically well-mixed estuaries and coastal waters. The model is tested by comparing simulated concentrations and residence times with corresponding analytical solutions for a one-dimensional estuary. Excellent agreement is obtained.