Hydrodynamic and Oil Spill Modeling: Galveston Bay
Simulations presented on this web page show the speed and direction of water movement, i.e., currents, in Galveston Bay including East, West, and Trinity Bays. Currents are shown for a moving three-day window (beginning yesterday and finishing tomorrow) and slide forward each day. Flows are computed for about four weeks prior to today and extend through about a week beyond today, but only results for a three-day window are shown.
Galveston Bay (Updated: 08:01 CDT May 13, 2013) Models are run and updated daily.
Model Input and Related Data
Tides
Forecasted tides for the Galveston Pleasure Pier tide gage station (TCOON Station 021) are used as input for the Galveston Bay model. Pleasure Pier tide gage was removed in 2011; however, forecasts for the station are being used until a new tide gage installed in the area, at the Galveston Entrance Channel – North Jetty, has acquired enough tide data to determine a forecast.&nsbp; Tidal inputs are applied to the model's Gulf boundary to drive TxBLEND simulations. The new gage is part of the Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network, just as the Galveston Pleasure Pier tide station was.
Wind
Wind velocity input used in the TxBLEND hydrodynamic model is derived from the NAM Model of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) by Texas A&M University Oceanography Department in cooperation with the Texas General Land Office. The specific wind time series is calculated for the Galveston Bay grid node at Latitude/Longitude: 29.456° N, 94.833° W. Wind plots show the hindcast/forecast wind speed and direction that is input into TxBLEND.
River Inflows
Inflows to the Galveston Bay TxBLEND model are based on mean daily gaged flows from the Trinity River, San Jacinto River, Chocolate Bayou, Buffalo Bayou, plus several other gaged bayous that flow into the Houston Ship Channel. Other flow inputs include monthly estimates of historical water intakes and returns from power plants in the region and statistically estimated constant-value ungaged flows from Dickinson, Highland, Cedar Bayous, Clear Creek and estimates of smaller streams to the estuary.
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and the Texas General Land Office (TGLO) make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, suitability, fitness for any purpose, or any other warranty with regard to the information, illustrations or other data provided herein. These data are not suitable for navigational purposes.