Water quality modelling

Water quality modeling involves water quality based data using mathematical simulation techniques. Modeling helps people understand the importance of water quality issues and provides evidence for policy makers to make decisions in order to properly mitigate water pollution. Water quality modeling also helps determine correlations to constituent sources and water quality along with identifying information gaps. Due to increases in human use of fresh water, water quality modeling is especially relevant at both the local and global level. In order to understand and predict the changes over time in water scarcity, climate change, and the economic factor of water resources, water quality models depend on sufficient data by including water bodies from both local and global levels.

A typical water quality model consists of a collection of formulations representing physical mechanisms that determine position and momentum of pollutants in a water body. Models are available for individual components of the hydrological system such as surface runoff. Basin-wide models address hydrologic transport aspects and are used for ocean and estuarine applications. Finite difference methods are often used to analyze these phenomena, and, almost always, large complex computer models are required.

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