Fractional-step method for two-dimensional estuarine transport

The fractional-step method was used in this study to split the longitudinal advective transport term from the other terms in the two-dimensional, laterally-averaged equation for estuarine mass transport. The method of characteristics with spline interpolations was used to approximate the longitudinal advective transport. A general discussion of the fractional-step method, the specific algorithm developed in this investigation, and results of numerical tests are presented. Application of the fractional-step method in conjunction with the characteristic-spline scheme offers the potential for improved simulations of transport for situations in which concentration gradients are steep.