A modelling study on hydrodynamics and pollutant dispersion in the Suez Canal

A considerable amount of international trade is transported in Egypt through the Suez Canal increasing public concern about hazardous safety. Through the canal, a relatively important flow of salt water enters the Mediterranean Sea, affecting its hydrologic deficit, and carrying algae and other non-swimmer species from the Red Sea. We are studying the hydrodynamics of the Suez Canal using both 1D and 2D modelling approaches. A reasonable calibration has been possible from the data set prepared with the collaboration of the Suez Canal Authority. Seasonal variations in Mean Sea Level in the northern Red Sea produce important drift currents. This is studied by means of our 1D model, being possible to estimate the net transport of salt and water towards the Mediterranean Sea. Diffusion coefficients are calibrated from two field-tracing experiments carried out in the southern Suez Canal. They are set up in a kinetic–reactive–transport model involving the dynamics of suspended loads and the electrolytic reactions between the dissolved species and the particulate matter in the water column and bottom sediments. We present an application to the short-term dispersion of Pu and Cs in the southern Suez Canal. Finally, we discuss the use of these modelling approaches into more global dynamic-ecological models.