Unstructured mesh assessment for tidal model of the South Atlantic Bight and its estuaries

Localized truncation error analysis with complex derivatives was applied to compute target element sizes for tidal flow in the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) and its estuaries. An existing finite element mesh was used to generate a tidal solution that is fed into this code, which assesses the truncation error and drives it to a more uniform value through selective mesh gradation, and results in a target element size distribution for the SAB and its estuaries. The target element size distribution is compared to the element size distribution of the existing mesh. The code prescribes larger than the initial elements for the shelf and deeper waters and smaller than the initial elements for the shallow-water region. Along the coast, elements similarly sized as the initial elements are prescribed at the inlets, but larger elements are prescribed between adjacent inlets.