The primary motivation of this study is to analyze the 1D-2DH hydrodynamic model of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (SFBD) outlined in Nederhoff et al. (2021). I compared model water level data to 70 tidal records from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the California Data Exchange Center (CDEC), and from local municipalities throughout the Bay Area to investigate how the model captures water levels and tidal constituent amplitudes. While the Nederhoff et al (2017) model analyzed an extended time period from 1950-2019, I analyzed M2 amplitude and tidal water levels for the water year of 2017 (WY2017) with a larger dataset that extended into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Because WY2017 was a high river flow year for the Sacramento Delta, the model was able to be evaluated throughout a large range of flow regimes. I used harmonic analysis through the MATLAB package UTide (Codiga et al. 2011) to assess the model’s ability to replicate M2 amplitudes. I assessed the error for these M2 values as well as for tidal water levels. The average RMSE for M2 amplitude is 0.111 m across the entire model domain during WY2017, performing fairly consistent throughout the model. The one exception being the shallow and complex Grizzly Bay, which performed significantly worse, with RMSE values around 0.5 m. The model better replicated water levels in the 2DH grid representation of the San Francisco Bay ( Attempts to improve the model were mostly unsuccessful. I tried to increase the grid resolution at the Carquinez Strait to improve tidal propagation upstream, but altering the grid caused the coupling between the 2DH grid and 1D network to detach. This prevented the propagation of water flow in either direction at the coupling near Collinsville. The software required to fix this coupling was non-standard and unavailable for my usage, so I was unable to resolve the issue. I also attempted to create a new wind forcing file using in-situ data rather than the ERA5 reanalysis. This new wind forcing made negligible difference in water level and M2 model skill. An experiment in removing river flow showed that riverine impacts on elevating extreme water levels only have effects (>0.05 m) east of the Carquinez Strait. Extreme water levels west of this point in the San Pablo, Central, and South Bays are dominated by tides, storm surge, and to a lesser extent local wind. A decrease in tidal amplitude by river flow potentially decreases flood risk in some parts of the Bay during times of high outflow from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. I also investigated maximum equilibrium effects of constant wind in the two prevailing wind directions (southerly and westerly) of the San Francisco Bay. The wind setup effect become more prominent (>0.05 m) at and above a steady 10 m/s in both directions. This study also showed that wind likely exerts a small influence on tidal properties, especially for winds greater than 10 m/s.

When properly designed, hypolimnetic aeration and oxygenation systems can replenish dissolved oxygen in water bodies while preserving stratification. A comprehensive literature review of design methods for the three primary devices was completed. Using fundamental principles, a discrete-bubble model was first developed to predict plume dynamics and gas transfer for a circular bubble-plume diffuser. This approach has subsequently been validated in a large vertical tank and applied successfully at full-scale to an airlift aerator as well as to both circular and linear bubble-plume diffusers. The unified suite of models, all based on simple discrete-bubble dynamics, represents the current state-of-the-art for designing systems to add oxygen to stratified lakes and reservoirs. An existing linear bubble plume model was improved, and data collected from a full-scale diffuser installed in Spring Hollow Reservoir, Virginia (U.S.A.) were used to validate the model. The depth of maximum plume rise was simulated well for two of the three diffuser tests. Temperature predictions deviated from measured profiles near the maximum plume rise height, but predicted dissolved oxygen profiles compared very well to observations. Oxygen transfer within the hypolimnion was independent of all parameters except initial bubble radius. The results of this work suggest that plume dynamics and oxygen transfer can successfully be predicted for linear bubble plumes using the discrete-bubble approach. To model the complex interaction between a bubble plume used for hypolimnetic oxygenation and the ambient water body, a model for a linear bubble plume was coupled to two reservoir models, CE-QUAL-W2 (W2) and Si3D. In simulations with a rectangular basin, predicted oxygen addition was directly proportional to the update frequency of the plume model. W2 calculated less oxygen input to the basin than Si3D and significantly less mixing within the hypolimnion. The coupled models were then applied to a simplified test of a full-scale linear diffuser. Both the W2 and Si3D coupled models predicted bulk hypolimnetic DO concentrations well. Warming within the hypolimnion was overestimated by both models, but more so by W2. The lower vertical resolution of the reservoir grid in W2 caused the plume rise height to be over-predicted, enhancing erosion of the thermocline. / Ph. D.

Bubble plume oxygenation systems are commonly used to mitigate anoxia and its deleterious effects on water quality in thermally stratified lakes and reservoirs. Following installation, increases in sediment oxygen flux (JO2) are typically observed during oxygenation and are positively correlated with the bubble plume gas flow rate. Studies show that JO2 is controlled by the thickness of the diffusive boundary layer (DBL) at the sediment-water interface (SWI), which is in turn controlled by turbulence. As a result, JO2 can be quite spatially and temporally variable. Accurately predicting oxygenation-induced JO2 is vitally important for ensuring successful oxygenation system design and operation. Yet despite the current understanding of physical and chemical controls on JO2, methods for predicting oxygenation-induced JO2 are still based on empirical correlations and factors of safety. As hypolimnetic oxygenation becomes more widely used as a lake management tool for improving and maintaining water quality, there is a need to move from the current empirically based approach to a mechanistic approach and improve the ability to predict induced JO2. This work details field campaigns to investigate and identify appropriate models of oxygen supply to the SWI and oxygen demand exerted from the sediment, with the intent to use these models to predict oxygenation-induced JO2. Oxygen microprofiles across the SWI and near-sediment velocity measurements were collected in situ during three field campaigns on two oxygenated lakes, providing simultaneous measurements of JO2 and turbulence. Field observations show that oxygenation can increase JO2 by increasing bulk hypolimnetic oxygen concentrations, which increases the concentration gradient across the SWI. Oxygenation can also enhance turbulence, which decreases the DBL thickness and increases JO2. Existing models of interfacial flux were compared to field measurements to determine which model best predicted the observed JO2. Models based on the Batchelor scale, friction velocity, and film-renewal theory all agree reasonably well with field observations in both lakes. Additionally, the oxygen microprofiles were used to fit a transient model of oxygen kinetics in lake sediment and determine the appropriate kinetic model. Oxygen microprofiles in both lakes can be described using zero-order kinetics, rather than first-order kinetics. The interfacial flux and sediment kinetic models are incorporated into a coupled bubble plume and 3-D hydrodynamic lake model, allowing for spatial and temporal variation in simulated JO2. This comprehensive model was calibrated and validated to field data from two separate field campaigns on Carvin's Cove Reservoir, Virginia. Simulated temperature profiles agreed quite well with field observations, while simulated oxygen profiles differed from observed profiles, particularly in the bottom 1 m of the water column. The model overestimates oxygen concentrations near the sediment, which results in higher simulated JO2 than was observed during the field campaigns. These discrepancies are attributed to oxygen-consuming chemical processes, such as oxidation of soluble metals, which are not accounted for in the hydrodynamic model. Despite this, the model is still able to capture the impact of bubble plume operation on JO2, as simulated JO2 is higher when the diffusers are operating. With some additional improvements to the water quality modeling aspects of the model, as well as further calibration and validation, the model should be able to reproduce observed JO2 provided oxygen concentrations near the SWI are accurately reproduced as well. The current work is an attempt to push toward a comprehensive lake oxygenation model. A comprehensive model such as this should improve the ability to predict oxygenation-induced JO2 and lead to improvements in the design and operation of hypolimnetic oxygenation systems. / Ph. D.

We compared high-resolution drone laser scanning (DLS) and structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry-derived vegetation heights at the Virginia Tech StREAM Lab to determine Manning's roughness coefficient. We utilized two calibrated approaches and a calculated approach to estimate roughness from the two data sets (DLS and SfM), then utilized them in a two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic model (HEC-RAS). The calculated approach used plant characteristics to determine vegetative roughness, while the calibrated approaches involved adjusting roughness values until model outputs approached values of field data (e.g., velocity probe and visual observations). We compared the model simulations to seven actual high-flow events during the fall of 2018 and 2019 using measured field data (velocity sensors, groundwater well height, marked flood extents). We used a t-test to find that all models were not significantly different to water surface elevations from our 18 wells in the floodplain (p > 0.05). There was a decrease in RMSE (-0.02 m) using the calculated compared to the calibrated models. Another decrease in RMSE was found for DLS compared to SfM (-0.01 m). This increase might not justify the increased cost of a DLS setup over SfM (~$150,000 versus ~$2,000), though future studies are needed. Our results inform hydrodynamic modeling efforts, which are becoming increasingly important for management and planning as we experience increasing high-flow events in the eastern United States due to climate change. / Master of Science / We compared high-resolution drone laser scanning (DLS) and structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry-derived vegetation heights at the Virginia Tech StREAM Lab to improve flood modeling. DLS uses laser pulses to measure distances to create a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud of the landscape. SfM combines overlapping aerial images to create a 3D point cloud. Each method has limitations, such as cost (DLS) and accuracy (SfM). These remote sensing methods have been increasingly used to provide inputs to flood models, due to lower cost, and increased accuracy compared to airplane or satellite-based surveys. Quantifying roughness or resistance to flow can be extremely difficult and results in flood model accuracy problems. We used two forms of a calibrated approach, and a calculated approach to estimate roughness from the two data sets (DLS and SfM) which were then used in a two-dimensional (2D) flood model. We compared the model results to measured field data from seven actual high-flow events in Fall 2018 and 2019. We used statistics to determine compare the various techniques. We found that model results were not significantly different from measured water-surface elevations measured in the floodplain during floods. We also used root mean square error (RMSE) to measure the differences between modeled and observed data. There was slight decrease (-0.02 m) in error when comparing model results using the calculated and calibrated techniques. The error also decreased (-0.01 m) for simulations using the DLS versus SfM data sets. The improved accuracy due to the use of DLS might not be justified based on the increased cost of a DLS setup to SfM (~$150,000 versus ~$2,000), though future studies are needed. Insights from this analysis will help improve flood modeling, particularly as we plan for increasing high-flow events in the eastern Unites States due to climate change.

Stellar winds play an important role for the evolution of massive stars and their cosmic environment. Multiple lines of evidence, coming from spectroscopy, polarimetry, variability, stellar ejecta, and hydrodynamic modeling, suggest that stellar winds are non-stationary and inhomogeneous. This is referred to as 'wind clumping'. The urgent need to understand this phenomenon is boosted by its far-reaching implications. Most importantly, all techniques to derive empirical mass-loss rates are more or less corrupted by wind clumping. Consequently, mass-loss rates are extremely uncertain. Within their range of uncertainty, completely different scenarios for the evolution of massive stars are obtained. Settling these questions for Galactic OB, LBV and Wolf-Rayet stars is prerequisite to understanding stellar clusters and galaxies, or predicting the properties of first-generation stars. In order to develop a consistent picture and understanding of clumped stellar winds, an international workshop on 'Clumping in Hot Star Winds' was held in Potsdam, Germany, from 18. - 22. June 2007. About 60 participants, comprising almost all leading experts in the field, gathered for one week of extensive exchange and discussion. The Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC) included John Brown (Glasgow), Joseph Cassinelli (Madison), Paul Crowther (Sheffield), Alex Fullerton (Baltimore), Wolf-Rainer Hamann (Potsdam, chair), Anthony Moffat (Montreal), Stan Owocki (Newark), and Joachim Puls (Munich). These proceedings contain the invited and contributed talks presented at the workshop, and document the extensive discussions.

The on-going interest in thermoelectric (TE) materials, in the form of bulk and films, motivates investigation of materials that exhibit low thermal conductivity and good electrical conductivity. Such materials are phonon-glass electron-crystals (PGEC), and the multi-component type-I clathrate Ba8Ga16Ge30 is in this category. This work reports the first investigation of Ba8Ga16Ge30 films grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). This dissertation details the in-situ growth of polycrystalline type-I clathrate Ba8Ga16Ge30 thin-films by pulsed laser ablation. Films deposited using conventional laser ablation produced films that contained a high density of particulates and exhibited weak crystallinity. In order to produce high quality, polycrystalline, particulate-free films, a dual-laser ablation process was used that combines the pulses of (UV) KrF excimer and (IR) CO2 lasers that are temporally synchronized and spatially overlapped on the target surface. The effect of the laser energy on stoichiometric removal of material and morphology of the target has been investigated. In addition, in-situ time-gated emission spectroscopy and imaging techniques were used to monitor expansion of components in the ablated plumes. Through these investigations, the growth parameters were optimized not only to significantly reduce the particulate density but also to produce large area stoichiometric films. Structure and electrical transport properties of the resultant films were also evaluated. This work provides new insight toward the in-situ growth of complex multi-component structures in thin-film form for potential TE applications.

O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar a dinâmica das ondas de areia presentes no interior da Baía de São Marcos em São Luís, estado do Maranhão, utilizando dados de campanhas de batimetria bimestral e granulometria, para determinar a geomorfologia de fundo, além de séries temporais eulerianas de velocidade e variação da maré dos anos de 2011 e 2012 para validar um modelo hidrodinâmico local. O posicionamento horizontal e vertical nos conjuntos de dados batimétricos, digitalizados em transectos longitudinais, forneceu corredores de transporte que concordaram com os obtidos por meio do modelo numérico. Foram registradas ondas de areia com comprimento e altura superiores a 342 m e 6 m, respectivamente. A migração horizontal chegou a 1,8 m/dia e as intensidades de corrente a 1.84 m/s sobre o campo de ondas de areia e 2.58 m/s nos canais adjacentes. O Cabeço do Mearim e a Ilha do Medo são os principais responsáveis pela divisão dos regimes hidrodinâmicos locais forçados pela maré, os quais controlam os padrões morfológicos e migratórios das feições de fundo. Os mapas residuais de velocidade aliados aos coeficientes de dominância de maré calculados demonstraram que as principais forçantes do sistema são intensas nos canais e ao sul da Ilha do Medo e menos pronunciadas nas planícies rasas do sistema estuarino. As técnicas utilizadas neste estudo possibilitaram o estabelecimento de um modelo conceitual de corredores de transporte que rege o equilíbrio dinâmico do sistema local. Esses corredores são formados principalmente pelo canal principal da Baía de São Marcos localizado na porção oeste das feições submersas, predominando o transporte das correntes de vazante, pelo Canal do Boqueirão no qual predominam as correntes de maré enchente e pelo canal transversal situado a leste das ondas de areia, responsável por fluxos principalmente de maré enchente que podem transportar sedimentos ou energia para o sistema de canais principais. Este modelo forneceu conhecimento basal para o planejamento de atividades de uso, exploração e conservação dos sedimentos na Baía de São Marcos / The aim of this study was to characterize sand wave dynamics in São Marcos Bay (Maranhão state). Using data obtained from consecutive bathymetry campaigns, bottom sediment distribution, tide level and stationary current meters time series at this site from 2011-2012 years, bed morphology evolution was determined and a process-based hydrodynamic model was validated. Registering consecutive sand wave positioning in longitudinal transects provided bed features migration, generating transport pathways that agreed with model results. Sand waves observed were up to 6 m high and 342 m long and migrate up to 1.8 m/day, under depth-averaged current conditions up to 1.84 m/s above the sand wave field and 2.58 m/s in the adjacent channels. Cabeço do Mearim and Medo Island represents the features responsible for separate both tidal hydrodynamic regimes that control bottom migration and morphologic patterns. Residual current distribution and tide dominance coefficients showed that the controlling hydrodynamic forces of the system are more intense in the main channels and southward Medo Island, while weaken as depth reduces eastward. The methods used in this study provide a reliable conceptual model of transport pathways that control the local dynamic equilibrium, composed by the main channel of Sao Marcos Bay, where ebb dominance occurs, by the Boqueirão Channel strongly dominated by flood currents and by the transversal channel located eastward the bottom features, also flood dominated and responsible for transport sediment and energy to the sand wave field. This approach provided the bases for planning activities regard use, conservation and exploitation of sediments in São Marcos Bay

O presente trabalho apresenta a primeira avaliação da hidrodinâmica do Saco do Mamanguá (RJ), com o objetivo de analisar o comportamento hidrodinâmico e o transporte de sedimentos da região, através do modelo hidrodinâmico Delft3D - FLOW e do modelo de ondas Delft3D - WAVE. Os resultados indicam que a hidrodinâmica do Saco do Mamanguá é grandemente influenciada pela ação do vento, principalmente pelos oriundos de sudoeste, seguido pela força da maré e dos gradientes de densidade, que juntos atuam no direcionamento e magnitude das correntes e trocas de volume entre a região e o oceano adjacente, sendo responsáveis também pelo transporte de sedimentos em suspensão da região. Os resultados do modelo numérico de ondas mostraram que estas não influenciam a hidrodinâmica da região. Através da comparação dos resultados do modelo numérico com os dados coletados na região, ele se mostrou satisfatório, principalmente em relação à hidrodinâmica, validando a correta representação dos padrões de circulação da área. Por fim, o trabalho demonstra que o Saco do Mamanguá é um ambiente de baixa energia, com correntes fracas, variando de bem misturado a estratificado em que, sua baixa dinâmica favorece a retenção de partículas em seu interior, porém a atuação do vento contribui para a exportação de material. / This study presents the first evaluation of hydrodynamics Saco do Mamanguá (RJ), with the aiming of analyze the hydrodynamics patters and sediment transport in the region using the hydrodynamic model Delft3D - FLOW and wave model Delft3D - WAVE. The results indicate that the hydrodynamics of Saco do Mamanguá is largely influenced by the wind, especially southwestern winds, followed by tide forces and density gradients which together will dictate direction and magnitude of current, the volume and mass exchanges between the study area and the adjacent ocean, and the suspended sediment transport. The results of the wave model showed that these did not influence the hydrodynamics of the region. The numerical model was proved be satisfactory, especially regarding the hydrodynamics patterns when compared to measured data, well representing the flow circulation of the area. Finally, the study demonstrates that Saco do Mamanguá is a low energy environment with low velocity currents, ranging from well mixed to stratified estuary. The low dynamic in the system favors particle retention in its interior although the performance of the wind contributes to the export of material.

Im Fokus dieser Arbeit steht die physiologische Reaktion von Einzelbäumen gegenüber Trockenheit. Das angewandte hydrodynamische Xylemwasserfluss (XWF) Model liefert eine hydrologische Abbildung der Einzelbäume. Aufgrund des funktionalen Zusammenhanges zwischen dem Blattwasserpotential und der stomatären Leitfähigkeit erlaubt das XWF Modell eine öko-physiologische Simulation der stomatären Reaktion auf Blattebene. Hieraus ergeben sich auch Rückschlüsse auf die Assimilationsleistung. Als integratives Maß des Verhältnisses zwischen der Kohlenstoffaufnahme und dem Wasserverbrauch werden die stabilen (Jahrring-) Isotope des Kohlen- und des Sauerstoffs analysiert. Des Weiteren werden Messungen des jährlichen Dickenwachstums sowie des Tagesganges der Xylem-Saftflussdichte untersucht. Die XWF Simulationen zeigen eine gute Übereinstimmung mit den Saftflussdichtemessungen an Buchen (Fagus sylvatica L.). Eine effektive stomatäre Regulation der Transpiration während der extreme Trockenheit des Jahres 2003 schütze die untersuchten Buchen vor einer Fehlfunktion des Wassertransportes. Gleichfalls konnte das Wachstum aufrechterhalten werden, was eine Remobilisierung von gespeichertem Kohlenstoff während Zeiten eingeschränkten Gasaustausches nahe legt. Des Weiteren zeigte sich Unterschiede in den (Wasser-) Nutzungsstrategien von Fichten (Picea abies L. Karst.), was auf eine physiologische Prädisposition der Gefährdung einzelner Bäume gegenüber Trockenstress hinweist. Die gemeinsame Betrachtung von hydrodynamischen Simulationen und öko-physiologischen Messungen kann dazu beitragen die komplexen physiologischen Prozesse auf Blattebene abzubilden und diese auf Baumebene zu projizieren. Weiterführend können somit die Vorhersagen des Wasserhaushaltes auf Bestandesebene angepasst und Auswirkungen des Klimawandels besser abgeschätzt werden. / This study focuses on the physiological response of individual trees towards drought. The hydrodynamic model of xylem water flow (XWF) applied provides a hydraulic map of the individual trees. Due to the functional linkage between the leaf water status and the stomatal conductance, the XWF model enables an eco-physiological representation of the stomatal response at the leaf level. As an integrative record of the ratio between water loss and carbon gain, the tree ring carbon and oxygen stable isotopes have been analyzed. Furthermore, measurements of seasonal growth and diurnal sap flow densities include in my study. The hydrodynamic XWF simulation shows good agreement with sap flow density measurements of beech trees (Fagus sylvatica L.). It demonstrates that the study trees were able to cope with the extreme drought events of the years 2003 due to a strong limitation of water loss by stomatal closure. The assessment of growth data and stable isotope measurements suggest an increased remobilization of stored carbohydrates during periods of limited gas exchange. Furthermore, differences in the resource use strategies of Norway spruce trees (Picea abies L. Karst.) suggest a physiological predisposition of individual trees toward drought stress. The combined investigation of hydrodynamic modeling and eco-physiological approaches helps to bridge the gap between the detailed examinations of physiological processes at the leaf level to the forecast of water use at the tree level. Thus, predictions of the water balance at the stand level may be adjusted for a better representation of the impact of climate change.

A região de Ubatuba, sendo polo de atração turística, sofre influência das atividades humanas que modificam algumas características dos corpos de água, devido ao aporte de dejetos humanos, à descarga de poluentes e ao intenso tráfego de embarcações. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos das ações antrópicas sobre o sistema costeiro de Ubatuba por meio do estudo dos processos de transporte e difusão de poluentes, através de modelos que descrevem os mecanismos e as reações envolvidas na dispersão de hidrocarbonetos de petróleo (HPAs) e indicadores microbiológicos (coliformes termotolerantes e enterococos) na água do mar. Foram utilizados os módulos do sistema de modelagem ambiental Delft3D. O módulo hidrodinâmico foi implementado em uma grade numérica cobrindo a plataforma continental adjacente ao litoral norte de São Paulo. Da análise e validação dos resultados do módulo hidrodinâmico, concluiu-se que o modelo reproduziu satisfatoriamente a circulação marinha na região (valores de Skill entre 0,67 e 1,00). A associação dos dados de poluição com os resultados da hidrodinâmica permitiu estudar os mecanismos de dispersão dos poluentes nas enseadas do Flamengo e das Palmas através do módulo de qualidade da água. A concentração de coliformes calculada pelo modelo atingiu o máximo de 1850 NMP/100mL na Enseada do Flamengo, no verão; no caso dos HPAs, o teor máximo foi de 0,92 µg/L. As partes internas da Enseada do Flamengo têm a circulação da água reduzida, bem como a dispersão de poluentes. Os resultados sugerem que os teores de HPAs tiveram menor decaimento ao longo do tempo, o que se deve, provavelmente, às características da região, como baixo hidrodinamismo e baixo teor de nutrientes, que dificultam os processos de degradação de hidrocarbonetos. Por outro lado, os resultados indicaram um decaimento considerável na densidade de bactérias. As taxas de mortalidade de coliformes termotolerantes tiveram alta correlação linear positiva com a salinidade e temperatura (r = 0,94 e r = 0,99, respectivamente) e as taxas de mortalidade devido à radiação solar apresentaram uma boa contribuição na taxa de mortalidade geral. Na Enseada das Palmas, a máxima densidade de enterococos estimada pelo modelo foi de 1,21 UFC/100mL, no verão. Simulações de dispersão de enterococos mostraram que as regiões mais internas da enseada possuem correntes fracas que não favorecem uma grande dispersão de poluentes para fora da enseada. Os enterococos não tiveram sua taxa de mortalidade correlacionada com a salinidade (r = -0,02), porém a temperatura (r = 0,75) e a radiação solar parecem ter grande influência no seu decaimento. Com exceção do ponto no Saco da Ribeira, que apresentou concentrações de coliformes acima de 1000 NMP/100mL, em geral, as águas mantiveram condições adequadas de balneabilidade nas duas enseadas. Pode-se afirmar que o sistema de correntes na área de estudo, determinado pela geomorfologia da região, não confere alta capacidade de diluição e dispersão de efluentes nas enseadas. Todavia, a circulação marinha atuante e os processos envolvidos no decaimento dos poluentes são suficientes para difundir e diminuir suas concentrações ao longo das enseadas. Concluiu-se que a modelagem ambiental reproduziu de maneira satisfatória os processos envolvidos no transporte e na difusão de poluentes na água do mar, contribuindo com os estudos sobre os efeitos das atividades humanas no sistema costeiro de Ubatuba. / The region of Ubatuba, being a place of tourist attraction, is influenced by human activities that modify some features of water bodies due to the dumping of sewage, the discharge of pollutants and heavy boat traffic. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of human activities on the coastal system of Ubatuba through the study of transport processes and diffusion of pollutants, through models that describe the mechanisms and reactions involved in the dispersion of petroleum hydrocarbon (PAHs) and microbiological indicators (thermotolerant coliforms and enterococci) in seawater. The modules of the environmental modeling system Delft3D were used in the study. The hydrodynamic module was implemented in a numerical grid covering the continental shelf adjacent to the north coast of São Paulo. From the analysis and validation of the results of the hydrodynamic module, it was concluded that the model satisfactorily reproduced the marine circulation in the region (Skill values between 0,67 and 1,00).The association of pollution data with the results of hydrodynamic allowed studying the pollutant dispersion mechanisms in Flamengo Bay and in Palmas Bay through the water quality module. The concentration of coliform calculated by the model reached the maximum of 1850 MPN/100mL in the Flamengo Bay, in summer; in the case of PAHs, the maximum level was 0,92 µg/L. The internal parts of the Flamengo Bay have the circulation of water reduced as well as the dispersion of pollutants. The results suggest that the PAHs concentrations were less decay over time, which is probably due to the regional characteristics, such as low hydrodynamic and low nutrient content, which hamper the hydrocarbon degradation processes. On the other hand, the results indicate a considerable decay in bacterial density. Thermotolerant coliform mortality rates had high positive correlation with salinity and temperature (r = 0,94 e r = 0,99, respectively), and the mortality rates due to solar radiation had a good contribution to the overall mortality rate. In the Palmas Bay, the maximum enterococci density estimated by the model was 1,21 CFU/100mL in the summer. Enterococci dispersion simulations showed that the internal regions of the bay have weak currents that do not contribute to a large dispersion of pollutants out of the bay. Enterococci have not had their mortality rate correlated with salinity (r = - 0,02), but the temperature (r = 0,75) and solar radiation seem to have large influence on its decay. With the exception of the point at the Saco da Ribeira, which obtained coliform concentrations above 1000 NMP/100mL, in general, the waters maintained suitable conditions for bathing in the two bays. It can be said that the current system in the study area, determined by the geomorphology of the region, does not provide high capacity for dilution and dispersion of effluents in the bays. However, the marine circulation and the processes involved in the decay of the pollutants are enough to spread and reduce their concentrations along the bays. It was concluded that environmental modeling reproduced satisfactorily the processes involved in the transport and diffusion of pollutants in seawater, contributing to the studies on the effects of human activities on the coastal system of Ubatuba.