Dispersion study for two-dimensional modelling.

Simulation of water quality variation in a particular river stretch or at a particular location with time requires mathematical modelling based on advection and dispersion phenomenon. In this context, estimation of an appropriate dispersion coefficient, which is a function of characteristics of a water body, is very essential and forms an important step in mathematical modelling. The tracer study conducted in this context on the river Ganga to estimate the dispersion coefficient is described in this paper with an analysis of data based on a stream-tube approach. For the wide river Ganga, with a velocity in the range 0.3-0.5 m/s, the estimated transverse dispersion coefficient is 1.33 m 2 /s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]