Simple Model of Thermal Pollution in Rivers

Jurak, D. & Wisniewski, A. (1989). Simple Model of Thermal Pollution in Rivers. IIASA Working Paper. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: WP-89-066

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Abstract

Water temperature is a very important parameter of water quality. In the natural conditions water temperature is determined by hydrological and meteorological factors, in particular by the heat budget of river or lake. For the few decades, however, due to the many new power and industrial developments, anthropogenic factors have greater influence on river and lake water temperatures. The temperature of water affects biological and chemical processes in aquatic environment and can play an important role in shaping ice phenomena.

In this paper a simple, one-dimensional thermal model is presented. It allows to determine the average water temperature in the cross-sections of the river downstream of the heated water discharge point. The model has been developed in the Department of Water Physics at the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, Warsaw, Poland. It can be useful for the design of water management systems in taking decisions on hydraulic structures or on location of large conventional and nuclear power plants.

The work has been done within the framework of cooperation between the Polish scientific institutions and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria.

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