The urgency with which researchers must engage in responding to current and predictable environmental harm caused by mercantile shipping arguably increases at a far greater rate than the inevitable increase in shipping, when one considers lasting effects potential, likely, and unknown. To this end, this paper will describe a case study of a scientific and industrial work in progress that has been necessitated by a port’s desire to rapidly and markedly expand its capacity where berthing of large »powerful« vessels is foreseen. It is well known that maritime traffic is the anthropogenic factor most responsible for the uplift of sediments in shallow water areas like Trieste Bay. While vessels manouvere the propeller rotates, draws in water and discharges it in the form of a high velocity jet. The understanding of the formation and diffusion characteristics of these jets has become of increasing importance in recent years. This paper will demonstrate how a full mission ship handling simulator (together with the engine room simulator) forms a valuable tools for assessing bottom wash circumstances within the shallow water area of Trieste Bay where sediments contain high concentrations of mercury.
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 2384739