The dynamic of a shallow water system has been studied using a 3D transport
-water-quality model. This model was originally designed to study the eutro
phication in the central part of the Venice lagoon. Four model outputs and
six input factors are considered in this paper. Sensitivity analysis is per
formed using the Sobol' method:and linear regression based methods. Results
of this study suggest that nitrogen load, the main controllable factor, pl
ays a major role in governing the primary production of the whole system. H
owever, the "history" of the system, represented by the initial density of
benthic algae, is even more important in determining the occurrence of dram
atic events, such as anoxic crisis, which may happen in particular areas. (
C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.