Sensitivity analysis of a three-dimensional simulation of turbidity currents in a sloping flume

Sensitivity analysis is necessary in numerical models to establish the optimal model configuration and simulate turbidity currents accurately. The sensitivity of turbidity currents simulated by a three-dimensional numerical model named the semi-implicit cross-scale hydroscience integrated system model (SCHISM) was assessed using domain discretization, the turbulence closure model, and the transport scheme. The results show that a higher horizontal resolution with an appropriate aspect ratio, localized sigma coordinates with shaved cells (LSC2) grid with sufficient layers, a two-phase mixture turbulence closure model, and transport schemes with critical depth ratio lower than 1 could improve the model performance on the turbidity currents. The study can provide helpful guidance to establish accurate turbidity current simulations in complex water environments.