Abstract
Knowledge of bottom friction plays a crucial role in the modelling of coastal ocean hydrodynamics. Existing formulations based on grain size to estimate friction coefficients are often imprecise, impacting the performance of numerical models. This study adjusted the estimated friction coefficient based on the specific habitat characteristics of the seabed in Port Phillip Bay. The effectiveness of this method is substantiated through modelling surface elevations within the bay and comparing the results with observational data. Through sensitivity experiments, it was found that the scaling factors should be chosen depending on the seabed characteristics and could vary by one to two orders of magnitude. The impact of adjusted bottom friction coefficient on the simulated tides in the bay is also analyzed. Revised estimates of bottom friction significantly improve our capability to predict surface elevations with implications for modelling waves, tides and sediment transport in Port Phillip Bay.
© 2025 American Meteorological Society. This is an Author Accepted Manuscript distributed under the terms of the default AMS reuse license. For information regarding reuse and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).
