Three-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling of Singapore coastal waters on an unstructured-grid SUNTANS model

The circulation in Singapore coastal waters is driven by the variable tidal forcing of the surrounding seas, complex bathymetry, irregular coastlines, and seasonal monsoon and local winds. An unstructured-grid SUNTANS model is employed to perform three-dimensional simulations of flow in Singapore coastal waters. The model is tidally forced at the open boundaries with tidal constituents as derived from the OTPS (OSU Tidal Prediction Software). Our results show a good overall agreement in terms of magnitude and phase for sea surface elevations and currents. Model skill assessment is performed by computing the metrics, i.e. root-mean-square (RMS) errors and correlation coefficients (r). The volume transport through Malacca Strait, Java Sea, South China Sea and Singapore Strait are computed, and the mean annual, monthly and daily transport values are analyzed for each of the transects.