Computational improvement to the spatial resolution of an aquatic systems model

Numerical models have become an interesting option to analyze the water quality of streams. A major challenge is to capture non-linear interactions between biogeochemical processes, toxicants, and ecological dynamics. Realistic simulations of the hydrodynamics and sediment transport are needed in order to answer critical questions such as the impact of anthropic modifications and climate change. In this study we enhanced the capabilities of AQUATOX, a water quality and ecosystem simulation model released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. AQUATOX source code was updated in order to allow coupling with an external hydrodynamic model that handles unsteady flow. To do this, the spatial resolution in AQUATOX has been enhanced from 51 to more than 2000segments. This enhancement is an important contribution as it represents one of the first attempts to couple food web, biogeochemical processes, the fate and transport of toxicants under realistic hydrodynamic conditions.