Tarang Khangaonkar

Overview and Professional Qualifications

Dr. Tarang Khangaonkar, Ph.D., P.E., is the technical group manager for the Integrated Coastal Ocean Modeling Group at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He has been working in the Skagit on climate science since 2001. His main focus in the Skagit has been on hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and water quality modeling in the Skagit River Estuary from the floodplain to the coastal waters of Skagit Bay.

Dr. Khangaonkar provides senior leadership to PNNL’s activities in numerical modeling studies related to water quality, hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and fate and transport analysis. He has 20 years of experience with various types of models capable of circulation, toxics fate and transport, and water quality kinetics. In response to a growing demand by the Puget Sound community for a practical oceanographic modeling tool — to assist with nearshore restoration planning and design, and water quality management — Dr. Khangaonkar and his team have developed a high-resolution 3‑D finite volume hydrodynamics circulation and transport model of Puget Sound (PS-CTM). In consultation with U.S. EPA and Washington State Department of Ecology, Dr. Khangaonkar is currently also managing the development of an associated biogeochemical (dissolved oxygen and nutrient) model of Puget Sound to evaluate effects of population.

The areas of management that are potentially affected by Dr. Khangaonkar’s work include water quality, sediment quality, navigation, flood protection, and fish passage.

Research Interests
Listing of Dr. Khangaonkar’s Skagit-specific research interests

Climate change impacts on nearshore circulation and transport in Skagit Bay
Sea level rise and impact on nearshore marsh habitat in Skagit Bay
Influence of climate change on Skagit Bay sea surface temperature and fish migration
Fate and transport of Skagit River sediments and marsh aggradation
Residual circulation in Skagit Bay, Saratoga Passage, and Whidbey Basin

Listing of Dr. Khangaonkar’s other research interests

Hydrodynamics and circulation in the Salish Sea (Puget Sound and the Straits of Juan de Fuca)
Biogeochemical balance of nutrient loads and primary production in Puget Sound
Assimilative capacity of Puget Sound, given climate change and growth
Effects of sea level rise on residual circulation in Puget Sound
Role of coastal carbon sinks on ocean acidification.

Dr. Khangaonkar has descriptions available of his current research and finished reports.

Education and Credentials

Ph.D., applied marine physics/ocean engineering, University of Miami, 1990
M.S., ocean engineering, University of Miami, 1988
B.S., naval architecture, Indian Institute of Technology, 1986
Dr. Khangaonkar is a registered professional engineer (P.E., Civil) in Washington.

Affiliations and Professional Service
Founding member of the Skagit Climate Science Consortium

Additional Information
Pacific Northwest National Laboratories has many capabilities of the Integrated Coastal Ocean Modeling Group at PNNL. Some of the work they do is described below.

Hydrodynamics

3‑D free surface flows
Stratified flow
Coastal circulation
Rivers, lakes, & estuaries

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

3‑D flows near structures
Complex model grids
Jet plume mixing & dilution

Water Quality/Ecology

Effluent mixing & dilution
Toxics fate and transport
Salinity, DO, pH, & Temperature
NPDES and TMDL
Primary productivity

Sediment Transport

Dredged material transport
Sediment impact zones
Sedimentation basins
Natural recovery

Hydrology

Watershed behavior
Flooding
Storm events
Climate-driven impacts
Interactions with structures

Contact
Dr. Tarang Khangaonkar
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
1100 Dexter Avenue N, Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98109
Tel: 206–528-3053
Cell: 206–612-1598
Fax: 206–528-3556
Email: tarang.khangaonkar@pnl.gov

For additional information on PNNL’s Coastal and Ocean Modeling Group and to access reports not connected directly to climate change in the Skagit, please visit: www.pnnl.gov