Projected Responses of Tidal Dynamics in the North Sea to Sea-Level Rise and Morphological Changes in the Wadden Sea

Jordan, Christian; Visscher, Jan; Schlurmann, Torsten

doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.685758

Cited by 14 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…In our study, SLR-induced changes in tidal dynamics seaward of the German Bight model are neglected. Previous research by Jordan et al (2021) shows large-scale changes in M2 amplitude in the North Sea due to SLR. Relating the results of Jordan et al (2021) to our model boundary, we neglect changes in the M2 amplitude that are less than ±2 cm.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Seiffert and Hesser (2014) simulated the effects of 80 cm SLR without topographic changes in the Elbe estuary and found an increase in TR, which is in accordance with our results. Jordan et al (2021) did not focus on the estuaries when investigating the effects of SLR and tidal flat elevation on tidal dynamics in the Wadden Sea. Nevertheless, their results show a slight increase in M2 amplitude in the Elbe estuary due to SLR of 80 cm without tidal flat elevation.…”

Section: Comparison To Other Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…SLR can also cause a shift of the amphidromic point in the German Bight in eastward direction, which is counteracted by tidal flat elevation as well (Jordan et al, 2021). As a result of the changes in amphidromes and current velocities, the combined effect of tidal flat elevation and SLR causes an increase in M2 amplitude in the German Bight relative to SLR alone (Jordan et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Future global mean sea level rise (SLR), as it is projected for this century (Fox-Kemper et al, 2021), will not only raise water levels in the German Bight but also affect, for example, tidal dynamics (e.g. tidal amplitude and tidal asymmetry) in several ways (Jordan et al, 2021;Wachler et al, 2020). In particular, low-lying coastal areas such as the German Bight and the adjacent estuaries are vulnerable to changes due to SLR.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Potential tidal flat growth should be considered when studying SLR scenarios, as it strongly affects the tidal dynamics in the Wadden Sea (Wachler et al, 2020;Jordan et al, 2021). SLR in the German Bight will cause an increase in tidal prism relative to channel cross-sectional flow area in the tidal basins, and current velocity in the channels will increase as a result.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of sea level rise and tidal flat growth on tidal dynamics and geometry of the Elbe estuary

Mahavadi,

Seiffert,

Kelln

et al. 2024

Ocean Sci.

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Abstract. Future global mean sea level rise (SLR) will affect coastlines and estuaries in the North Sea and therefore also coastal protection structures, unique local ecosystems and important waterways. SLR will not only raise water levels but also influence tidal dynamics and morphodynamics, which is why the tidal flats of the Wadden Sea can grow to a certain extent with SLR. Investigations on the effects of climate-change-induced SLR and the related potential bathymetric changes inside of estuaries form an important basis for identifying vulnerabilities and developing appropriate adaptation strategies. To analyse the influence of potential SLR and tidal flat elevation scenarios on the tidal dynamics in the Elbe estuary, we used a highly resolved hydrodynamic numerical model of the German Bight. The analysis results show increasing tidal range in the Elbe estuary solely due to SLR. They also reveal strongly varying changes with different tidal flat growth scenarios: while tidal flat elevation up to the mouth of the estuary can cause tidal range to decrease relative to SLR alone, tidal flat elevation in the entire estuary can lead to an increase in tidal range relative to SLR alone. Further analyses show how the geometric parameters of the Elbe estuary are changing due to SLR and tidal flat elevation. We discuss how these changes in estuarine geometry can provide an explanation for the changes in tidal range.

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Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Comparison To Other Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Effects of sea level rise and tidal flat growth on tidal dynamics and geometry of the Elbe estuary

Mahavadi,

Seiffert,

Kelln

et al. 2024

Ocean Sci.

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Changes in tidal asymmetry in the German Wadden Sea

Hagen

Kösters

2022

Ocean Dynamics

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The recent morphological development of the German Wadden Sea (North Sea, Europe) has been characterized by expanding intertidal flats and deepening, narrowing tidal channels at declining subtidal volume. This study analyzes the effect of these changes on tidal asymmetry, based on numerical modeling with high-resolution bathymetry data, and discusses possible adaptations of the import and export behavior in intertidal systems. As common descriptors of tidal asymmetry may show a high spatial variability in bathymetrically complex intertidal systems, we develop a novel subregion averaging approach for a more robust trend estimation. Our data reveal a statistically significant decrease in flood and flood current duration in the period from 1996 to 2016 resulting in declining flood dominance or enhanced ebb dominance in most tidal basins of the German Wadden Sea. Mean and peak current asymmetry also indicate significant decreases in mean flood current magnitude. We relate decreasing flood dominance mostly to local bathymetric volume changes rather than tidal amplitude. However, it appears likely that the sum of local effects facilitates the adaptation of regional tidal dynamics which affects especially the northern German Bight. This regional shift is explained by the deceleration of rising tides due to increased friction on laterally expanded intertidal flats and decreased subtidal channel volume. The decrease in flood or increase in ebb dominance, respectively, indicates that the recent trend of sediment accretion in Wadden Sea areas may cease soon.

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Climate change impacts on a sedimentary coast—a regional synthesis from genes to ecosystems

Buschbaum,

Shama,

Amorim

et al. 2024

Mar. Biodivers.

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Climate change effects on coastal ecosystems vary on large spatial scales, but can also be highly site dependent at the regional level. The Wadden Sea in the south-eastern North Sea is warming faster than many other temperate coastal areas, with surface seawater temperature increasing by almost 2 °C over the last 60 years, nearly double the global ocean mean increase. Climate warming is accompanied by rising sea levels, which have increased by approximately 2 mm yr−1 over the last 120 years. For this sedimentary coast, the predicted acceleration of sea-level rise will have profound effects on tidal dynamics and bathymetry in the area. This paper synthesises studies of the effects of ocean warming and sea level rise in the northern Wadden Sea, largely based on research conducted at the Wadden Sea Station Sylt of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research. An increasing rate of sea level rise above a critical threshold will lead to coastal erosion and changes in sediment composition, and may cause the transition from a tidal to lagoon-like environment as tidal flats submerge. This involves changes to coastal morphology, and the decline of important habitats such as muddy tidal flats, salt marshes and seagrass meadows, as well as their ecological services (e.g. carbon sequestration). Ocean warming affects plankton dynamics and phenology, as well as benthic community structure by hampering cold-adapted but facilitating warm-adapted species. The latter consist mostly of introduced non-native species originating from warmer coasts, with some epibenthic species acting as ecosystem engineers that create novel habitats on the tidal flats. Warming also changes interactions between species by decoupling existing predator–prey dynamics, as well as forming new interactions in which mass mortalities caused by parasites and pathogens can play an understudied but essential role. However, Wadden Sea organisms can adapt to changing abiotic and biotic parameters via genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity, which can also be inherited across generations (transgenerational plasticity), enabling faster plastic responses to future conditions. Important research advances have been made using next-generation molecular tools (-omics), mesocosm experiments simulating future climate scenarios, modelling approaches (ecological network analysis), and internet-based technologies for data collection and archiving. By synthesising these climate change impacts on multiple levels of physical and biological organisation in the northern Wadden Sea, we reveal knowledge gaps that need to be addressed by future investigations and comparative studies in other regions in order to implement management, mitigation and restoration strategies to preserve the uniqueness of this ecosystem of global importance.

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Projected Responses of Tidal Dynamics in the North Sea to Sea-Level Rise and Morphological Changes in the Wadden Sea

Cited by 14 publications

References 43 publications

Effects of sea level rise and tidal flat growth on tidal dynamics and geometry of the Elbe estuary

Effects of sea level rise and tidal flat growth on tidal dynamics and geometry of the Elbe estuary

Changes in tidal asymmetry in the German Wadden Sea

Climate change impacts on a sedimentary coast—a regional synthesis from genes to ecosystems

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