NAAC (v1.0): a seamless two-decade cross-scale simulation from the North American Atlantic Coast to tidal wetlands using the 3D unstructured-grid model SCHISM (v5.11.0)

Abstract

Saltwater intrusion is an increasing concern for coastal ecosystems. While groundwater models have made progress in simulating aquifer salinization, their boundary conditions - potentially informed by ocean model simulations in shallow water systems and intertidal zones - remain constrained. Here we presented a 3D unstructured-grid model that covers the Gulf of Maine and the Mid-Atlantic Bight, and most areas of the South-Atlantic Bight along the North American Atlantic Coast ("NAAC") for 2 decades, with a focus on the salinity simulations. This model resolves detailed geometric features of tidal tributaries down to 100 m while maintaining a resolution of 6.5 km in the coastal ocean. The two-decadal simulations from 2001 to 2020 were evaluated using a comprehensive observational dataset of elevation, temperature, and salinity. The mean absolute error in the M2 amplitude across the NOAA tidal gauges within the domain is 0.11 m. The root-mean-square deviation for salinity and temperature measurements are 0.27 PSU and 0.12 °C, respectively. The model reasonably captured the currents and circulations. For the first time, we extended a regional continental scale ocean model to the tidal wetlands to include compound flooding process. The two-decade of simulations of hydrodynamic and hydrological connectivity along the Atlantic Coast have significantly addressed numerous observational gaps in many systems. Specifically, saltwater intrusion patterns in major estuaries of the Mid-Atlantic, such as Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, and other tributaries within the same hydrologic unit, exhibit significant correlations. The seamless cross-scale capability of this model facilitates future applications to land-sea interactions, such as carbon fluxes.