APPLICATION ASPECTS

ERDC TN-DOER-E10

April 2000

The following are typical values for the coefficient bi for the four size classes previously presented:

b0 = 0.2

b1 = 0.4

b2 = 0.6

b3 = 1.0

APPLICATION ASPECTS: The first step in an application of SSFATE is to establish an

operational area. Locations can range from rivers, lakes, and estuarine systems on a spatial scale

of up to tens of kilometers. For each location, the user supplies digital data describing the shoreline

and the bathymetry. These data can be digitized from an appropriate map, obtained from digital

databases, or produced using an external GIS and imported into the system. The user may have as

many locations in the system as computer storage allows and can rapidly change from one location

to another by simply loading the appropriate data set into the application.

The embedded GIS allows the user to input, store, manipulate, analyze, and display geographically

referenced information. The GIS has been designed to be user friendly, interactive, and fast.

However, it does not have the ability for sophisticated mapping or logical set-based calculations.

GIS data may not be required by a particular application, but are often helpful in analyzing and

interpreting model predictions.

Additional information about geographically referenced data can be obtained through the use of

linking procedures. These link files may include charts, graphics, tables, tutorials, bibliographies,

text, photographs, or animations. Examples of data that might be stored in the GIS include physical

characteristics of the dredged material, details of the placement site location, current meter data sets,

and distribution of potentially impacted biota.

A suite of tools is provided within the SSFATE modeling system to import, export, and manipulate

environmental data. As an example, time series of scalar or vector data at single or multiple points

can be imported. Spatial data can be imported for rectangular or boundary-fitted gridded regions.

Through this procedure, data from external models (e.g., hydrodynamic models) or measuring

systems (e.g., moored current meters) can be accessed and used as input to the SSFATE modeling

system. Tools are also available to import/export data from/to other GISs and existing databases

and to create/delete/edit databases in the embedded GIS.

Input data required include the shoreline (or a boundary-fitted numerical grid), bathymetry, ambient

currents (either limited field data to generate painted currents or flow fields imported from a

numerical hydrodynamic model), dredged material sediment characteristics, model parameters, and

output display parameters. In general, spatial information input to SSFATE is handled through the

gridding module of the GIS. Time-series data are addressed with environmental data management

tools and model parameter options. Input to specify the sediment characteristics, source strengths

and locations, and display options is managed through a set of model-specific input forms. Data

input is largely based on graphical techniques since they are accurate and fast.