Since I do not know all existing models I am unable to respond diretctly to your question. But I can refer to our experience at Coastal Research Station Norderney: the modeling of storm surges and waves with Delft3D/SWAN produced reliable results. The verification tests fit very well as well in estuaries as in the area of barrier islands and tidal basins.

Dear Hanz D Niemeyer,

Thank you very much for your reply and valuable information. My PhD student started to the Delft3D. He works on it. I think that he has a trouble because it is not completely with open source code.

 Dear Adem, Delft3D sounds like the best choice, but You may consider also open telemac: http://www.opentelemac.org/  (the difference is that the entire telemac is open source). If the storm surges are the main part, then SWAN+ADCIRC (the source code may be requested here http://www.caseydietrich.com/swanadcirc/) or standalone ADCIRC. 

Dear Vasko,

Thank you very much for your suggestions.

Dear Adem:

According to  my point of view, the best model is the one you know better, specially their limitations and basic assumptions. There are many well known models available, some are good modeling currents and storm surge others in modeling wave hydrodynamics (propagation) or wave breaking process in shallow waters. Another important issue is the time and space scale you want to model. Is rather different to model an event or a long term analysis and a straight shoreline, an estuary or ocean circulation. You should also consider which are the main physical process  you want to focus on (i.e: refraction, propagation, wave breaking, sediment transport, circulation, etc) and the nature of that physical process, because some are quasi linear and some other are very non linear and that makes a big difference on the type of equations your model should be solving and the numerical approach used to solve the N-S  equations (1D, 2D, quasi 3D, 3D, depth averaged, etc).

Finally I recommend you to read the paper of Roelvink (2004) "Keeping it simple by using complex models" which is very lightening on this topic. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233752032_Keeping_it_simple_by_using_complex_models)

Conference Paper Keeping it simple by using complex models

Dear Mauricio,

Thank you very much for your suggestions and explanations. I will have a look on the paper you sent. 

Best regards

Adem

Shallow water can be misleading.

In any case I strongly suggest to use open source codes, code developed by research lab with large community and strong support. Using a commercial code, as a black box, can be a dead-end way.

If you are interested in 2D processes, I suggest to use a Finite volumes or Finite elements models. Very generally they are all the same (up to a certain level). They are usually with the wet and dry option and coupled with wind waves.

If you want to simulate/study 3D processes then finite differences models are more robust. To have wet and dry option and wave coupling you might go to ROMS or some POM version.

Recently most of the finite-volumes/elements models developed the 3D capability but there is still a lot to do, in terms of efficency and numerical schemes.

In general, modelling is not an easy task. My suggestion is to create a connection with another research group with similar interests and with expertise in numerical modelling arrange a visiting period and use what they use.

regards

Dear Oddo,

Thank you very much for your valuable suggestions.

Dear Adem

I would suggest you to take a look at

http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/modeling/COAWST/

Dear Sandro,

I know COAWST from your papers. And I suggest my student to study on it.

But, I saw that you used MIKE version in other papers. Therefore, I did not decide which model is better.

Best regards

Adem

Dear Adem,

yes indeed, we have used MIKE and many opther DHI family models. Actually, in one effort we even gladly compared MIKE and COAWST in the Adriatic Sea

Modelling ocean currents in the northern Adriatic Sea

R Bolaños, JVT Sørensen, A Benetazzo, S Carniel, M Sclavo

Continental Shelf Research 87, 54-72

Then we used MIKE products to model very high resolution features in the northern Adriatic Sea

Sediment transport modifications induced by submerged artificial reef systems: a case study for the Gulf of Venice

D Bonaldo, A Benetazzo, A Bergamasco, FM Falcieri, S Carniel, M Aurighi, ...

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies 43 (1), 7-20

So my suggestion is: it all depends on what you want to do and which is the purpose. MIKE products are excellent in their context (that is mostly commercial), much more user friendly comapred to research-oriented products: of course, there are costs associated. If you end up doing a mixed research work, or a servicing, you may wish to consider them or other friendly products.

If you are carrying out your cutting-edge research activity, you may prefer an open source, international effort, such as ROMS or COAWST.

Having said this, I am very much open in international collaboration, and if you are planning to establish a research group, or offering Thesis using COAWST, please do not hesitate to contact me, preferably at my email address.

Best wishes for a sparlkling 2016!

Sandro

Dear Sandro,

Thank you very much for your detail explanations and proposals. I will be very happy if we have a collaboration. We can use COAWST within my student's thesis and our scientific studies. And I will contact you.

Best wishes for a sparkling 2016!

Adem

Hi Adem,

I suggest you to try MOHID Hydrodynamic modelling.

http://www.mohid.com/

Hi Pedamallu

thank you very much for your suggestion.

Hi Adem Akpinar,

I suggest SWAN+ADCIRC for storm surges.

For hydrodynamics, I worked on Mike21 we got very good results when we utilized a good bathymetry and boundary conditions