The impacts of sedimentation caused in Izmir Bay by Gediz River on circulation and water quality

Abstract

Izmir Bay is a natural water environment on the west coast of Turkey opening to the Aegean Sea. The largest settlement in the bay area is Izmir. The bay has an "L" type geometry and consists of three parts: the outer, middle and inner bay parts. In this paper, the effect of shallowing caused by the previous Gediz river bed on the water motion in the inner and middle bay sections of Izmir Bay is investigated and the results were discussed for various meteorological conditions. It was determined that the shallowing which is in the middle bay entrance has effect on the water input and output of outer bay and the effect ratio on the water motion with the aid of a three-dimensional finite difference hydrodynamics model has been developed to simulate the long term current pattern.