Hydrodynamics of Klang Estuary / Hairudin Abu Hazar

In recent years engineering problems in estuary have received increased attention from the practitioner, the experimentalist, and the analyst in view of the important functions assigned to estuaries in the human environment. The South Port of Port Klang being situated right at the mouth of Klang River has problems of siltation ever since it operated. This siltation is caused by sediment discharge from the river entering the sea, The mixing process with denser saltwater and tidal rise and fall causes sedimentation problems in the estuary to be more serious than that encountered in the coastal regions. Thus, an analysis is required to study the hydrodynamics of the Klang Estuary. The hydrodynamics of an estuary is a complex process due to interaction of the freshwater flow and the tidal movements of the sea It is determined by the coexistence of fresh water flow, strong tidal and wind currents generating turbulent fluctuations and mixing, and small but still significant salinity gradients and gravity effects. Being a complex environment where freshwater from the river mixes with denser saltwater from the sea, it is therefore important that the hydrodynamics of the Klang Estuary be carefully understood. This hydrodynamic characteristic which is unique to each estuary is then used to predict the behaviour and patterns of sedimentation.