A Process-based calibration Procedure for Non-Cohesive Silt Transport Models at Shahid Rajaee Port Access Channel

Numerical modeling is the most common approach for predicting harbor channel siltation. It requires a comprehensive calibration process because there are several calibration parameters. The most crucial criterion for model calibration is suspended sediment concentration (SSC). The agreement between the measured and simulated SSC time series is usually verified based on generic statistical parameters such as RMSE and R2. This method does not address the important phenomena related to channel siltation; for instance, the siltation rate during neap and spring tidal cycles cannot be distinguished in such manner. A process-based calibration procedure has been proposed in this paper which considers some criteria facilitating the calibration processes. Based on analyzing the measured turbidity and current speed data, some criteria were established which convey underlying phenomena affecting sediment transport. They are: (1) the difference between maximum SSC (or turbidity) at neap and spring and (2) at ebb and flood tide, (3) the minimum turbidity at slack water during spring tide, and (4) the current speed-SSC (or turbidity) regression curve. The proposed procedure has been used to calibrate channel siltation in a real case study: Shahid Rajaee port access channel located in the Khoran strait, Iran. As the underlying phenomena affecting sediment transport was considered, the number of simulation runs for calibration processes were considerably decreased.