Tidal Current Modeling and Residence Time Computation in the Galak Estuary in the Northern Coast of Oman Sea

Galak estuary is a shallow water body with valuable marine environment located in the northern part of Oman Sea. This water body is considered for aquaculture developments and therefore it is important to have a good knowledge about its capacity for pollution assimilation. In this regard, understanding about the hydrodynamics of currents and residence time inside the estuary is essential. In this study, currents and residence time in the Galak estuary were studied using the MIKE21-HD-FM model. The transport process in the estuary was simulated by paired HD-TR modelling. The results showed that the average residence time of Galak estuary is equal to 2 and 5 days during the spring and neap tide, respectively. The minimum residence time was found in the main channel and the maximum ones were found in the branches far from the entrance of the estuary.