scholarly journals Climate change and human influences on sediment fluxes and the sediment budget of an urban delta: the example of the lower Rhine–Meuse delta distributary network

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 251-280
Author(s):  
J.R. Cox ◽  
F.E. Dunn ◽  
J.H. Nienhuis ◽  
M. van der Perk ◽  
M.G. Kleinhans
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Sediment Budget ◽  
Sediment Supply ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Channel Network ◽  
Port Development ◽  
The Future

Deltas require sufficient sediment to maintain their land area and elevation in the face of relative sea-level rise. Understanding sediment budgets can help in managing and assessing delta resilience under future conditions. Here, we make a sediment budget for the distributary channel network of the Rhine–Meuse delta (RMD), the Netherlands, home to the Port of Rotterdam. We predict the future budget and distribution of suspended sediment to indicate the possible future state of the delta in 2050 and 2085. The influence of climate and anthropogenic effects on the fluvial and coastal boundaries was calculated for climate change scenarios, and the effects of future dredging on the budget were related to port development and accommodation of larger ships in inland ports. Suspended sediment rating curves and a 1D flow model were used to estimate the distribution of suspended sediment and projected erosion and sedimentation trends for branches. We forecast a negative sediment budget (net annual loss of sediment) for the delta as a whole, varying from −8 to −16 Mt/year in 2050 and −11 to −25 Mt/year by 2085, depending on the climate scenario and accumulated error. This sediment is unfavourably distributed: most will accrete in the northern part of the system and must consequently be removed by dredging for navigation. Meanwhile, vulnerable intertidal ecosystems will receive insufficient sediment to keep up with sea-level rise, and some channels will erode, endangering bank protection. Despite increased coastal import of sediment by estuarine processes and increased river sediment supply, extensive dredging for port development will cause a sediment deficit in the future.

Marsh Processes and Their Response to Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 481-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan M. FitzGerald ◽  
Zoe Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Biomass Productivity ◽  
Sediment Supply ◽  
Marsh Vegetation ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations

In addition to their being vital components of mid- to high-latitude coastal ecosystems, salt marshes contain 0.1% of global sequestered terrestrial carbon. Their sustainability is now threatened by accelerating sea-level rise (SLR) that has reached a rate that is many times greater than the rate at which they formed and evolved. Modeling studies have been instrumental in predicting how marsh systems will respond to greater frequencies and durations of tidal inundation and in quantifying thresholds when marshes will succumb and begin to disintegrate due to accelerating SLR. Over the short term, some researchers believe that biogeomorphic feedbacks will improve marsh survival through greater biomass productivity enhanced by warmer temperatures and higher carbon dioxide concentrations. Increased sedimentation rates are less likely due to lower-than-expected suspended sediment concentrations. The majority of marsh loss today is through wave-induced edge erosion that beneficially adds sediment to the system. Edge erosion is partly offset by upland marsh migration during SLR. ▪ Despite positive biogeomorphic feedbacks, many salt marshes will succumb to accelerating sea-level rise due to insufficient mineral sediment. ▪ The latest multivariate marsh modeling is producing predictions of marsh evolution under various sea-level rise scenarios. ▪ The least well-known variables in projecting changes to salt marshes are suspended sediment concentrations and net sediment influx to the marsh. ▪ We are in the infancy of understanding the importance and processes of marsh edge erosion and the overall dynamicism of marshes. ▪ This review defines the latest breakthroughs in understanding the response of salt marshes to accelerating sea-level rise and decreasing sediment supply. ▪ Climate change is accelerating sea-level rise, warming temperatures, and increasing carbon dioxide, all of which are impacting marsh vegetation and vertical accretion.

scholarly journals Suspended sediment projections in Apalachicola Bay in response to altered river flow and sediment loads under climate change and sea level rise

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
pp. 428-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenrui Huang ◽  
Scott C. Hagen ◽  
Dingbao Wang ◽  
Paige A. Hovenga ◽  
Fei Teng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Apalachicola Bay ◽  
Sediment Loads ◽  
And Sea Level

scholarly journals Tidal wetland resilience to sea level rise increases their carbon sequestration capacity in United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faming Wang ◽  
Xiaoliang Lu ◽  
Christian J. Sanders ◽  
Jianwu Tang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
United States ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Tidal Wetlands ◽  
Tidal Wetland ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios

AbstractCoastal wetlands are large reservoirs of soil carbon (C). However, the annual C accumulation rates contributing to the C storage in these systems have yet to be spatially estimated on a large scale. We synthesized C accumulation rate (CAR) in tidal wetlands of the conterminous United States (US), upscaled the CAR to national scale, and predicted trends based on climate change scenarios. Here, we show that the mean CAR is 161.8 ± 6 g Cm−2 yr−1, and the conterminous US tidal wetlands sequestrate 4.2–5.0 Tg C yr−1. Relative sea level rise (RSLR) largely regulates the CAR. The tidal wetland CAR is projected to increase in this century and continue their C sequestration capacity in all climate change scenarios, suggesting a strong resilience to sea level rise. These results serve as a baseline assessment of C accumulation in tidal wetlands of US, and indicate a significant C sink throughout this century.

scholarly journals Evaluating on flooding area and tidal beach change in Quang Ninh coastal zone due to sea level rise

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (SI3) ◽  
pp. First
Author(s):  
Van Manh Dinh ◽  
Thu Ha Tran ◽  
Manh Chien Truong
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Numerical Model ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Coastal Zone ◽  
Beach Erosion ◽  
Tidal Range ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Quang Ninh ◽  
Flooded Areas

Viet Nam is considered one of countries most affected by climate change and sea-level rise. It results in many negative effects, such as flooding, saline intrusion and beach erosion occurred in the coastal zones. Quang Ninh with more than 250 km coastline, located in the northeastern part of Vietnam, is one of the vulnerable coastal provinces under the heavily affected due to the sea level rise. In order to evaluate the changes of flooded areas and tidal beaches due to the sea level rise in Quang Ninh coastal zone a 2D numerical model is set up, using the 3-grids nesting technique. The numerical model is calibrated by using the harmonic constants of 8 tidal constituents at Hon Dau tide station and validated with the observed data. On the basis of the climate change scenarios (RCP4.5, RCP8.5) in the period from 2020 to 2100, the corresponding sea level values are used in the numerical modeling to calculate the changes of flooded areas and tidal beaches due to the sea level rise. The obtained results on changing of the flooded area and tidal beach in Quang Ninh coastal zone are not only statically by changing water sea levels but also due to changing of the tidal range in this area. The calculated results point out that districts under the most affected of the sea level rise are Quang Yen, Tien Yen, Hai Ha, Mong Cai.

A method for assessing the coastline recession due to the sea level rise by assuming stationary wind-wave climate

2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junjie Deng ◽  
Jan Harff ◽  
Semjon Schimanke ◽  
H. E. Markus Meier
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Linear Relationship ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Wind Wave ◽  
Dynamic Equilibrium ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Sediment Budget ◽  
Least Square

AbstractThe method introduced in this study for future projection of coastline changes hits the vital need of communicating the potential climate change impact on the coast in the 21th century. A quantitative method called the Dynamic Equilibrium Shore Model (DESM) has been developed to hindcast historical sediment mass budgets and to reconstruct a paleo Digital Elevation Model (DEM). The forward mode of the DESM model relies on paleo-scenarios reconstructed by the DESM model assuming stationary wind-wave climate. A linear relationship between the sea level, coastline changes and sediment budget is formulated and proven by the least square regression method. In addition to its forward prediction of coastline changes, this linear relationship can also estimate the sediment budget by using the information on the coastline and relative sea level changes. Wind climate change is examined based on regional climate model data. Our projections for the end of the 21st century suggest that the wind and wave climates in the southern Baltic Sea may not change compared to present conditions and that the investigated coastline along the Pomeranian Bay may retreat from 10 to 100 m depending on the location and on the sea level rise which was assumed to be in the range of 0.12 to 0.24 m.

scholarly journals Sediment supply dampens the erosive effects of sea-level rise on reef islands

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan E. Tuck ◽  
Murray R. Ford ◽  
Paul S. Kench ◽  
Gerd Masselink
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Physical Stability ◽  
Physical Modelling ◽  
Sediment Supply ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Geomorphic Response ◽  
The Future ◽  
Reef Islands ◽  
The Impact

AbstractLarge uncertainty surrounds the future physical stability of low-lying coral reef islands due to a limited understanding of the geomorphic response of islands to changing environmental conditions. Physical and numerical modelling efforts have improved understanding of the modes and styles of island change in response to increasing wave and water level conditions. However, the impact of sediment supply on island morphodynamics has not been addressed and remains poorly understood. Here we present evidence from the first physical modelling experiments to explore the effect of storm-derived sediment supply on the geomorphic response of islands to changes in sea level and energetic wave conditions. Results demonstrate that a sediment supply has a substantial influence on island adjustments in response to sea-level rise, promoting the increase of the elevation of the island while dampening island migration and subaerial volume reduction. The implications of sediment supply are significant as it improves the potential of islands to offset the impacts of future flood events, increasing the future physical persistence of reef islands. Results emphasize the urgent need to incorporate the physical response of islands to both physical and ecological processes in future flood risk models.

scholarly journals Influence of Religion, Culture and Education on Perception of Climate Change, and its Implications

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 1297-1302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikiyasu Nakayama ◽  
Irene Taafaki ◽  
Takuia Uakeia ◽  
Jennifer Seru ◽  
Yolanda McKay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Marshall Islands ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Taking Action ◽  
Surprising Finding ◽  
People’S Perceptions

This study aims to quantitatively find the influence of religion, culture and education on the perception of climate change, and its implications. A survey was carried out, with students of a college and a university in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and a university in Kiribati answering a questionnaire. It emerged that education has more influence than religion or culture on people’s perceptions of climate change and its implications, both in the RMI and Kiribati. It is interesting because the two countries are not homogeneous in terms of history, culture and religion. Another surprising finding was that seemingly contradictory ideas (e.g., no flooding in the future as stated in the Bible, compared with the perceived sea level rise) exist in the minds of the majority of the respondents, both in RMI and Kiribati. Having conflicting ideas in one’s mind may delay one taking action to cope with climate change and its implications.

scholarly journals Tidal amplification and salt intrusion in the Mekong Delta driven by anthropogenic sediment starvation

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sepehr Eslami ◽  
Piet Hoekstra ◽  
Nam Nguyen Trung ◽  
Sameh Ahmed Kantoush ◽  
Doan Van Binh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
Mekong Delta ◽  
Sediment Supply ◽  
Tidal Amplitude ◽  
Irreversible Damage ◽  
Tidal Amplification

AbstractNatural resources of the Mekong River are essential to livelihood of tens of millions of people. Previous studies highlighted that upstream hydro-infrastructure developments impact flow regime, sediment and nutrient transport, bed and bank stability, fish productivity, biodiversity and biology of the basin. Here, we show that tidal amplification and saline water intrusion in the Mekong Delta develop with alarming paces. While offshore M2 tidal amplitude increases by 1.2–2 mm yr−1 due to sea level rise, tidal amplitude within the delta is increasing by 2 cm yr−1 and salinity in the channels is increasing by 0.2–0.5 PSU yr−1. We relate these changes to 2–3 m bed level incisions in response to sediment starvation, caused by reduced upstream sediment supply and downstream sand mining, which seems to be four times more than previous estimates. The observed trends cannot be explained by deeper channels due to relative sea level rise; while climate change poses grave natural hazards in the coming decades, anthropogenic forces drive short-term trends that already outstrip climate change effects. Considering the detrimental trends identified, it is imperative that the Mekong basin governments converge to effective transboundary management of the natural resources, before irreversible damage is made to the Mekong and its population.

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