Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of sea level rise on storm surge and waves within the Yangtze River Estuary

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Frontiers of Earth Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Sea level rise (SLR) can cause water depth increase (WDI) and coastal inundation (CI). By applying the coupled FVCOM + SWAN model, this study investigates the potential impacts of WDI and CI, induced by a 1.0 m SLR, on storm surge and waves within the Yangtze River Estuary. A 1.0 m WDI decreases the maximum storm surge by 0.15 m and increases the maximum significant wave height by 0.35 m. The CI effect size is smaller when compared with WDI. CI decreases the maximum storm surge and significant wave height by 0.04 and 0.07 m, respectively. In the near-shore area, WDI significantly alters the local hydrodynamic environment, thereby stimulating changes in maximum storm surges and wave heights. Low-lying regions are negatively impacted by CI. Conversely, in deep-water areas, the relative change in water depth is minimal and the effect of CI is gradually enhanced. The combined effect of WDI and CI decreases the maximum surge by 0.31 m and increases the maximum significant wave height by 0.21 m. As a result, CI may be neglected when designing deep-water infrastructures. Nonetheless, the complex interactions between adoption and neglect of CI should be simulated to achieve the best seawall flood control standards and design parameters.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Reference

  • Arns A, Wahl T, Dangendorf S, Jensen J (2015). The impact of sea level rise on storm surge water levels in the northern part of the German Bight. Coast Eng, 96: 118–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bilskie M V, Hagen S C, Medeiros S C, Passeri D L (2014). Dynamics of sea level rise and coastal flooding on a changing landscape. Geophys Res Lett, 41(3): 927–934

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen C, Huang H, Beardsley R C, Liu H, Xu Q, Cowles G (2007). A finite volume numerical approach for coastal ocean circulation studies: comparisons with finite difference models. J Geophys Res, 112(C3): C03018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen C, Liu H, Beardsley R C (2003). An unstructured, finite-volume, three-dimensional, primitive equation ocean model: application to coastal ocean and estuaries. J Atmos Ocean Technol, 20(1): 159–186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng H Q, Chen J Y, Chen Z J, Ruan R L, Xu G Q, Zeng G, Zhu J R, Dai Z J, Chen X Y, Gu S H, Zhang X L, Wang H M(2018). Mapping sea level rise behavior in an estuarine delta system: a case study along the Shanghai coast. Engineering, 4(1): 156–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deltares (2013). Delft3D-WAVE User Mannel. Delft Hydraulics

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao Z G, Han S Z, Liu K X, Zheng Y X, Yu H M (2008). Numerical simulation of the influence of mean sea level rise on typhoon storm surge in the East China Sea. Marine Science Bulletin, 10(2): 36–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Hasselmann K, Barnett T P, Bouws E, Carlson H, Cartwright D E, Enke K, Ewing J A, Gienapp H, Hasselmann D E, Kruseman P, Meerburg A, Müller P, Olbers D J, Richter K, Sell W, Walden H (1973). Measurements of Wind-Wave Growth and Swell Decay during the Joint North Sea Wave Project (JONSWAP). Deutches Hydrographisches Institut

    Google Scholar 

  • Holland G J (1980). An analytic model of the wind and pressure profiles in hurricanes. Mon Weather Rev, 108(8): 1212–1218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holland G J (2008). A revised hurricane and pressure-wind model. Mon Weather Rev, 136(9): 3432–3445

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hubbert G F, Holland G J, Leslie L M, Manton M J (1991). A real-time system for forecasting tropical cyclone storm surges. Weather Forecast, 6(1): 86–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jia H, Shen Y M, Su M R, Yu C X (2018). Numerical simulation of hydrodynamic and water quality effects of shoreline changes in Bohai Bay. Front Earth Sci, 12(3): 625–639

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuang C P, Chen W, Gu J, Zhu D Z, He L L, Huang H C (2014). Numerical assessment of the impacts of potential future sea-level rise on hydrodynamics of the Yangtze River Estuary, China. J Coast Res, 295(3): 586–597

    Google Scholar 

  • McGranahan G, Balk D, Anderson B (2007). The rising tide: assessing the risks of climate change and human settlements in low elevation coastal zones. Environ Urban, 19(1): 17–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mellor G L, Yamada T (1982). Development of a turbulence closure model for geophysical fluid problems. Rev Geophys Space Phys, 20 (4): 851–875

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Passeri D L, Hagen S C, Bilskie M V, Medeiros S C (2015). On the significance of incorporating shoreline changes for evaluating coastal hydrodynamics under sea level rise scenarios. Nat Hazards, 75(2): 1599–1617

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pelling H E, Mattias Green J A (2013). Sea level rise and tidal power plants in the Gulf of Maine. J Geophys Res Oceans, 118(6): 2863–2873

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pelling H E, Uehara K, Mattias Green J A (2013). The impact of rapid coastline changes and sea level rise on the tides in the Bohai Sea, China. J Geophys Res Oceans, 118(7): 3462–3472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith M K, Cialone M A, Wamsley T V, Mcalpin T O (2010). Potential impact of sea level rise on coastal surges in southeast Louisiana. Ocean Eng, 37(1): 37–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vickery P J, Skerlj P F, Steckley A C, Twisdale L A (2000). Hurricane wind field model for use in hurricane simulations. J Struct Eng, 126 (10): 1203–1221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Yi S, Li M Y, Wang L, Song C C (2018). Effects of sea level rise, land subsidence, bathymetric change and typhoon tracks on storm flooding in the coastal areas of Shanghai. Sci Total Environ, 621: 228–234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Zhao X D, Shen Y M (2012). Coupling hydrodynamic models with GIS for storm surge simulation: application to the Yangtze Estuary and the Hangzhou Bay, China. Front Earth Sci, 6(3): 261–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang Z Q, Wang T P, Voisin N, Copping A (2015). Estuarine response to river flow and sea-level rise under future climate change and human development. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci, 156(1): 19–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin K, Xu S D, Huang W R (2016). Modeling sediment concentration and transport induced by storm surge in Hengmen Eastern Access Channel. Nat Hazards, 82(1): 617–642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin K, Xu S D, Huang W R, Xie Y (2017). Effects of sea level rise and typhoon intensity on storm surge and waves in Pearl River Estuary. Ocean Eng, 136: 80–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao C J, Ge J Z, Ding P X (2014). Impact of sea level rise on storm surges around the Changjiang Estuary. J Coast Res, 68: 27–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou X Y, Zheng J H, Doong D J, Demirbilek Z (2013). Sea level rise along the East Asia and Chinese coasts and its role on the morphodynamic response of the Yangtze River Estuary. Ocean Eng, 71: 40–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51779039 and 51879028).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China

    Yongming Shen, Gefei Deng & Jun Tang

  2. Institute of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Yongming Shen

  3. Research Center for Eco-Environmental Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, China

    Zhihao Xu

Authors
  1. Yongming Shen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gefei Deng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhihao Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jun Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yongming Shen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shen, Y., Deng, G., Xu, Z. et al. Effects of sea level rise on storm surge and waves within the Yangtze River Estuary. Front. Earth Sci. 13, 303–316 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-018-0746-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-018-0746-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation