Modelling approaches
Technical reports
D.2.2.1: MOHID beaching parametrization upgrade
Responsible Partner: INTECMAR
Date: March 2025
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Description: This report makes a brief description of the approach followed in the “Previous version” of the MOHID model for the beaching process. Next, a “Conceptual model” of the new approach is presented, the “Algorithm” implemented in the model source code. Finally, the “Results” using the new beaching/unbeaching approach for a schematic case are presented.
Publications
Tracking marine debris in Northwest Spain: assessing wind influence with a Lagrangian transport model
Responsible Partner: USC
Date: Mar 2026
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Description: The primary objective of this study is to investigate the influence of wind on the accumulation patterns of rivertransported plastic debris in an estuarine, Ría de Arousa. Using Lagrangian particle tracking models, this study examines how wind conditions affect the distribution of floating particles, comparing accumulation along the shoreline. Additionally, the study explores the correlation between beached particles and river flow rate, as well as the residence time of debris within the estuary. By leveraging numerical simulations, this work provides insights into the key drivers of plastic retention and dispersion, contributing to a better understanding of pollutant transport and more effective mitigation strategies.
Size-Dependent Microplastic Fragmentation Model
Responsible Partner: USC
Date: July 2024
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Description: This work introduces a novel model inspired by raindrop formation, incorporating local oceanographic processes and fragment size, aiming to improve the understanding and prediction of plastic fragmentation in marine environments. The model incorporates the dependence on local oceanographic process, plastic aging and fragment size as criteria for fragmentation that were not previously addressed.
A regional Lagrangian model to evaluate the dispersion of floating macroplastics in the North Atlantic Ocean from land and river sources in the western coast of Spain
Responsible Partner: USC, IEO, UL
Date: October 2024
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Description: In this study, using modelling tools, the dispersion of particles from land-based sources located on the Spanish Atlantic coast was analyzed over a seven-year period. The results show that the highest concentrations of plastic are found near the coast. The particle dispersion is consistent with the oceanic dynamics of each region studied. The seasonal behavior of plastics arriving in neighboring countries was also analyzed. The time-varying patterns are consistent with local hydrodynamics and the general circulation of the ocean.