ABSTRACT
The model development proceeds through four general stages involving hydrodynamics, mass transport, contaminant transformations, and the aquatic food chain. This chapter discusses the systems of fluid equations which are of broad general interest in connecting channels, rivers, and lakes. It reviews the mathematical equations and includes a review of the Boussinesq approximation, boundary conditions, linearization of the equations, and vertical integration. The chapter describes the basic numerical models available in the literature under hydrodynamic and transport models. It is important to have an idea of the time to equilibrium of the transformation mechanisms when developing the hydrodynamic and transport models so that appropriate spatial and temporal scales can be set. Since the ultimate objective in modeling the hydrodynamics of the connecting channels is to simulate the movement and fate of toxic substances, a short review of the physical-chemical processes of such substances is appropriate.
