Temperature Simulation Module (Temperature)

Water temperature is one of the most important physical characteristics of aquatic environments. In addition to its own direct effects, temperature influences numerous biological and chemical reactions in water quality models. In fact, virtually all kinetic rates are temperature dependent. Changes in water temperature are computed from the energy balance, which accounts for heat inputs and outputs from the forcing functions, and for heat exchange at both the water surface and the sediment–water interface. The schematic of sources and sinks of heat at the air- and sediment-water interfaces is shown in the figure below.