SARISK

SARISK – Development of a pollutant dispersal model for risk analysis and evaluation of extreme flood events exemplifying the town and district of Bitterfeld.

SARISK aims to model pollutant dispersal in the Region of Bitterfeld during flood events of River Mulde and to install a decision support system (DSS) for high water events applicable to Bitterfeld and other regions. The USF is responsible for modelling pollutant dispersal (work package 4).
The modelling of pollutant dispersal is performed within the model system Telemac that comprises a hydrodynamic (Telemac2D), a transport (Subief2D), and a water quality module (wq2subief). The transport model relies on simulations of hydrodynamics and sediment transport, which in turn is executed at the Centre of Environmental Research (UFZ Leipzig-Halle) in Magdeburg (Figure 1). Within wq2subief, the pollutant partitioning between solid and soluble phases is modelled. In addition for soluble volatile compounds, gas exchange between water and atmosphere is considered.

Figure 1: Model system Telemac and further model components.

Petrol components, such as gasoline from oil tanks, and nutrients cannot be classified as pollutants, but are modelled, as well.
The pollutant dispersal model enables us to calculate scenarios for variable discharge and diverse dam-breaks and flood routes. The results of such scenarios not only are geo-referenced distributions of pollutant deposition within the floodplain of River Mulde, but also pollutant concentrations at the downstream margin of the project area, which again might be a risk for further downstream areas.

Project partners and external cooperation
Helmholtz Centre of Environmental Research - UFZ
University of Halle: Institute of Geography
Leibniz-Institute of Ecological Landscape Development (IÖR)
District Bitterfeld
Town Bitterfeld
Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of the State Sachsen-Anhalt

Publications