Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Undular Tidal Bores in the Qiantang River Based on Field Observations

Understanding the undular tidal bores in the Qiantang River is essential for effective river management and maintenance.While breaking tidal bores have been studied extensively, reports on undular tidal bores in the Qiantang Riverremain limited. Furthermore, observed data on undular tidal bores fulfilling the requirements of short measurementtime intervals, and spring, medium, and neap tide coverage, and providing detailed data for the global vertical stratificationof flow velocity are quite limited. Based on field observations at Qige in the Qiantang estuary, we analyzedthe characteristics of undular tidal bores. The results showed that the flooding amplitude (a) of the first wave isalways larger than its ebbing amplitude (b). Moreover, the vertical distribution of the maximum flood velocity exhibitesthree shapes, influenced by the tidal range, while that of the maximum ebb velocity exhibites a single shape. Duringthe initial phase of the flood tide in the spring and medium tides, the upper water body experiences multiple oscillatingchanges along the flow direction, corresponding to the alternating process of the crest and trough of the tide levelupon the arrival of the tidal bore. The tidal range is a crucial parameter in tidal bore hydrodynamics. By establishingthe relationship between hydrodynamic parameters and tidal range, other hydrodynamic parameters, such as the tidalbore height, maximum flood depth–averaged velocity, maximum flood stratified velocity at the measurement points,and duration of the flood tide current, can be effectively predicted, thereby providing an important reference for rivermanagement and maintenance.

Contributors to tidal duration asymmetry with varied coastline configurations on western shelf of Yellow Sea

Coastal management in China is confronted with an urgent choice between natural restoration and maintenance of existing seawalls and reclaimed land for economic development.A key criterion for making this decision is the resilience to coastal flooding,which depends on the ability to predict tidal level.Tidal duration asymmetry(TDA)is a key parameter in determination of the arrival and duration of flood tides.This study selected the western inner shelf of the Yellow Sea(WYS)as the study area and investigated the responses of TDA to different shoreline configurations and relative sea level rise.The responses of TDA to shoreline reconstruction yielded spatial variability locally and remotely.In the nearshore area,the responses of TDA to the complex ocean environment mainly originated from the combined functions of reflection,bottom friction,and advection,which controlled the energy transfer from M2 or S2 constituents to their overtides or compound tides.The sensitivity of TDA to coastline typologies was not limited to coastal waters but could stretch over the entire inner shelf.The vulnerability of tidal responses was due to the displacement of the M2 amphidrome of the Kelvin wave on the WYS,which in turn changed tidal energy fluxes over the regime.The relative sea level rise could intensify the feedback of TDA to seawalls and land reclamation.

Seasonal response of nitrogen exchange fluxes to crab disturbance at sediment-water interface in coastal tidal wetlands

Coastal wetlands are hotspots for nitrogen(N)cycling,and crab burrowing is known to transform N in intertidal marsh soils.However,the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.This study conducted field experiments and used indoor control test devices to investigate the seasonal response of nitrogen to crab disturbance at the sediment-water interface in coastal tidal flat wetlands.The results showed that crab disturbance exhibited significant seasonality with large seasonal differences in cave density and depth.Due to crab disturbance,nitrogen fuxes at the sediment-water interface were much greater in the box with crabs than in the box without crabs.In summer,NH-N showed a positive flux from the sediment to the overlying water,but NO2-N and NOg-N showed positive fluxes from the sediment to the overlying water only in early stages.In winter,NH-N showed a positive flux from the sediment to the overlying water,but NO-N and NO,-N both exhibited positive and negative fluxes.These results indicated that the presence of crab burrows can cause the aerobic layer to move downward by approximately 8-15 cm in summer and directly promote nitrification at the sediment surface.

Changes of coastline and tidal flat and its implication for ecological protection under human activities: Take China’s Bohai Bay as an example

The change processes and trends of shoreline and tidal flat forced by human activities are essential issues for the sustainability of coastal area,which is also of great significance for understanding coastal ecological environment changes and even global changes.Based on field measurements,combined with Linear Regression(LR)model and Inverse Distance Weighing(IDW)method,this paper presents detailed analysis on the change history and trend of the shoreline and tidal flat in Bohai Bay.The shoreline faces a high erosion chance under the action of natural factors,while the tidal flat faces a different erosion and deposition patterns in Bohai Bay due to the impact of human activities.The implication of change rule for ecological protection and recovery is also discussed.Measures should be taken to protect the coastal ecological environment.The models used in this paper show a high correlation coefficient between observed and modeling data,which means that this method can be used to predict the changing trend of shoreline and tidal flat.The research results of present study can provide scientific supports for future coastal protection and management.

Interrelationships between Length of the Day, Moon Distance, Phanerozoic Geodynamic Cycles, Tidal Dissipation and Earth’s Core: Review and Analysis

The rotation of the Earth and the related length of the day (LOD) are predominantly affected by tidal dissipation through the Moon and the growth of the Earth’s core. Due to the increased concentration of mass around the rotation axis of the spinning Earth during the growth of the core the rotation should have been accelerated. Controversially the tidal dissipation by the Moon, which is mainly dependent on the availability of open shallow seas and the kind of Moon escape from a nearby position, acts towards a deceleration of the rotating Earth. Measurements of LOD for Phanerozoic and Precambrian times open ways to solve questions concerning the geodynamical history of the Earth. These measurements encompass investigations of growth patterns in fossils and depositional patterns in sediments (Cyclostratigraphy, Tidalites, Stromatolites, Rhythmites). These patterns contain information on the LOD and on the changing distance between Earth and Moon and can be used as well for a discussion about the growth of the Earth’s core. By updating an older paper with its simple approach as well as incorporating newly published results provided by the geoscientific community, a moderate to fast growth of the core in a hot early Earth will be favored controversially to the assumption of a delayed development of the core in an originally cold Earth. Core development with acceleration of Earth’s rotation and the contemporaneous slowing down due to tidal dissipation during the filling of the ocean may significantly interrelate.

Mean water level setup/setdown in the inlet-lagoon system induced by tidal action—a case study of Xincun Inlet,Hainan Island in China

With the tides propagating from the open sea to the lagoon, the mean water level （MWL） in the inlet and lagoon becomes different from that at the open sea, and a setup/setdown is generated. The change of MWL （setup/setdown） in the system imposes a great impact on regulating the development of tidal marshes, on determining the long-term water level for harbor maintenance, on the planning for the water front development with the flood control for the possible inundation, and on the interpretation of the historical sea level change when using tidal marsh peat deposits in the lagoon as the indicator for open sea＇ s sea level. In this case study on the mechanisms which control the setup/setdown in Xincun Inlet, Hainan in China, the 2-D barotropic mode of Eulerian - Lagrangian CIRCulation （ELCIRC） model was utilized. After model calibration and verification, a series of numerical experiments were conducted to examine the effects of bottom friction and advection terms, wetting and drying of intertidal areas, bathymetry and boundary conditions on the setup/setdown in the system. The modeling results show that setup occurs over the inlet and lagoon areas with an order of one tenth of the tide range at the entrance. The larger the bottom friction is, a larger setup is generated. Without the advection term, the setup is reduced clue to a decrease of water level gradient to compensate for the disappearance of the advection term. Even without overtides, a setup can still be developed in the system. Sea level rise and dredging in the inlet and tidal channel can cause a decrease of setup in the system, whereas shoaling of the system can increase the setup. The uniqueness of the Xincun Inlet with respect to MWL change is that there is no evident setdown in the inlet, which can be attributed to the complex geometry and bathymetry associated with the inlet system.

A precise tidal prediction mechanism based on the combination of harmonic analysis and adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system model

An efficient and accurate prediction of a precise tidal level in estuaries and coastal areas is indispensable for the management and decision-making of human activity in the field wok of marine engineering. The variation of the tidal level is a time-varying process. The time-varying factors including interference from the external environment that cause the change of tides are fairly complicated. Furthermore, tidal variations are affected not only by periodic movement of celestial bodies but also by time-varying interference from the external environment. Consequently, for the efficient and precise tidal level prediction, a neuro-fuzzy hybrid technology based on the combination of harmonic analysis and adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system（ANFIS）model is utilized to construct a precise tidal level prediction system, which takes both advantages of the harmonic analysis method and the ANFIS network. The proposed prediction model is composed of two modules： the astronomical tide module caused by celestial bodies’ movement and the non-astronomical tide module caused by various meteorological and other environmental factors. To generate a fuzzy inference system（FIS） structure,three approaches which include grid partition（GP）, fuzzy c-means（FCM） and sub-clustering（SC） are used in the ANFIS network constructing process. Furthermore, to obtain the optimal ANFIS based prediction model, large numbers of simulation experiments are implemented for each FIS generating approach. In this tidal prediction study, the optimal ANFIS model is used to predict the non-astronomical tide module, while the conventional harmonic analysis model is used to predict the astronomical tide module. The final prediction result is performed by combining the estimation outputs of the harmonious analysis model and the optimal ANFIS model. To demonstrate the applicability and capability of the proposed novel prediction model, measured tidal level samples of Fort Pulaski tidal station are selected as the testing database. Simulation and experimental results confirm that the proposed prediction approach can achieve precise predictions for the tidal level with high accuracy, satisfactory convergence and stability.

Processes,feedbacks,and morphodynamic evolution of tidal flat-marsh systems:Progress and challenges

Tidal flats and saltmarshes have been a long-standing research focus because of their high socio-economic and ecological values.The evolution of tidal flat-marsh systems is highly complex due to the intertwined processes operating over a variety of spatial and temporal scales.As a traditional research highlight,the role of regular hydrodynamic processes such as tides,waves,and river flows have been explored comprehensively with fruitful outcomes.Over past decades,the changing environment(e.g.,sea level rise,increasing anthropogenic activities,and extreme weather conditions)has attracted more attention with many reported insightful results.More recent advances indicate that biological activities play a critical role in tidal flat-marsh morphodynamics but are still poorly understood.The field of research that connects the bio-logical and physical processes is commonly described as"biogeomorphology"and requires the joint efforts by scientists from multiple dis-ciplines ranging from hydraulics,ecology,and geography to sociology.This review aims to provide a synthesis of the current research status of tidal flat-marsh morphodynamics,with a particular emphasis on the understanding of various processes and feedbacks underlying the devel-opment of morphodynamic models.Some future research needs and challenges are identified to facilitate a more sustainable management strategy for tidal flats and saltmarshes under climate change.

Process-based modeling of morphodynamics of a tidal inlet system

The morphodynamic evolution of an idealized inlet system is investigated using a 2-D depthaveraged process-based model,incorporating the hydrodynamic equations,Englund-Hansen’s sediment transport formula and the mass conservation equation.The model has a fixed geometry,impermeable boundaries and uniform sediment grain size,and driven by shore-parallel tidal elevations.The results show that the model reproduces major elements of the inlet system,i.e.,flood and ebb tidal deltas,inlet channel.Equilibrium is reached after several years when the residual transport gradually decreases and eventually diminishes.At equilibrium,the flow field characteristics and morphological patterns agree with the schematized models proposed by O’Brien （1969） and Hayes （1980）.The modeled minimum cross-sectional entrance area of the tidal inlet system is comparable with that calculated with the statistical P-A relationship for tidal inlets along the East China Sea coast.The morphological evolution of the inlet system is controlled by a negative feedback between hydrodynamics,sediment transport and bathymetric changes.The evolution rates decrease exponentially with time,i.e.,the system develops rapidly at an early stage while it slows down at later stages.Temporal changes in hydrodynamics occur in the system;for example,the flood velocity decreases while its duration increases,which weakens the flood domination patterns.The formation of the multi-channel system in the tidal basin can be divided into two stages;at the first stage the flood delta is formed and the water depth is reduced,and at the second stage the flood is dissected by a number of tidal channels in which the water depth increases in response to tidal scour.

Tidal Current and Tidal Energy Changes Imposed by a Dynamic Tidal Power System in the Taiwan Strait, China

The Taiwan Strait has recently been proposed as a promising site for dynamic tidal power systems because of its shallow depth and strong tides. Dynamic tidal power is a new concept for extracting tidal potential energy in which a coast-perpendicular dike is used to create water head and generate electricity via turbines inserted in the dike. Before starting such a project, the potential power output and hydrodynamic impacts of the dike must be assessed. In this study, a two-dimensional numerical model based on the Delft3 D-FLOW module is established to simulate tides in China. A dike module is developed to account for turbine processes and estimate power output by integrating a special algorithm into the model. The domain decomposition technique is used to divide the computational zone into two subdomains with grid refinement near the dike. The hydrodynamic processes predicted by the model, both with and without the proposed construction, are examined in detail, including tidal currents and tidal energy flux. The predicted time-averaged power yields with various opening ratios are presented. The results show that time-averaged power yield peaks at an 8% opening ratio. For semidiurnal tides, the flow velocity increases in front of the head of the dike and decreases on either side. For diurnal tides, these changes are complicated by the oblique incidence of tidal currents with respect to the dike as well as by bathymetric features. The dike itself blocks the propagation of tidal energy flux.

Numerical Simulation of Flow Field in Tidal Estuary Using Body-Fitted Coordinate System

On the basis of the physical mechanism, a body-fitted coordinate system is developed. By using this system the boundaries in simulation and in real are fitted well, and simulation with great accuracy is achieved. A computation example indicates that compared to traditional two-dimensional computation methods, the body-fitted simulation has an advantange of better coincidence with the real and can be adopted in simulating flow fields in tidal estuaries.

The application of Yangtze Estuary Tidal Wetlands Geographic Information System

Yangtze Estuary Tidal Wetlands Geographic Information System (YETWGIS) is a comprehensive software system for environmental management and decision of Yangtze estuary tidal wetlands. Based on MapObjects components technology, Data Mining technology, mathematical modeling method and Visual Basic language, this software system has many functions such as displaying, editing, querying and searching, spatial statistics and analysis, thematic map compiling, and environmental quality evaluation. This paper firstly outlined the system structure, key techniques, and achieving methods of YETWGIS, and then, described the core modules (the thematic map compiling module and environmental quality evaluation model module) in detail. In addition, based on information entropy model, it thoroughly discussed the methods of environmental quality evaluation and indicators' weight calculation. Finally, by using YETWGIS, this paper analyzed the spatial distribution characteristics of Heavy Metal and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) of the Yangtze estuary tidal wetlands in 2002, and evaluated the environmental quality of the Yangtze estuary tidal wetlands in 2003.

Maximum Power Point Tracking of Hybrid Tidal Current—Supercapacitor Energy Conversion System

This paper proposes control of maximum power tracking system of tidal current energy system. A permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) works as a variable speed generator in the proposed energy system. A controller was applied to achieve the maximum power control of tidal current turbine on a wide range of water current speed change. A dynamic model and simulation of the energy system coupled with current change are presented. The measured DC voltage and DC current are used to determine the position of maximum power point that controls the DC/DC boost converter duty cycle depending on the Hill Climb Search (HCS) algorithm. This algorithm doesn’t require any information or measurements about current’s speed change or generator’s characteristics. A supercapacitor added to fix the load voltage despite of tidal current speed or load variations. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the controller proposed system.

Study on the Tidal Wave System and Formation Mechanism of M_2 Tide in the Taiwan Strait

To study the Taiwan Strait （TS）, an unusual sea area, the numerical model in marginal seas of China is used to simulate and analyze the tidal wave motion in the strait. The numerical modeling experiments reproduce the amphidromic system of the M2 tide in the south end of the Taiwan strait, and consequently confirm the existence of the degenerate amphidromic system. On this basis, further discussion is conducted on the M2 system and its formation mechanism. It can be concluded that the tidal waves of the TS is consisted of the progressing wave from the north entrance and the degenerate amphidromic system from the south entrance, in which the progressing wave from the north entrance dominates the tidal wave motion in the strait. Except for the convergent effect caused by the landform and boundary, the degenerate amphidromic system produced in the south of the strait is another important factor for the following phenomena： the large tidal range in the middle of the strait, the concentrative zone of co-amplitude and co-phase line in the south of the strait. The degenerate amphidromic system is mainly produced by the incident Pacific Ocean tidal wave from the Luzon strait and the action by the shoreline and landform. The position of the amphidromic point is compelled to move toward southwest until degenerating by the powerful progressing wave from the north entrance.

Morphodynamic signatures derived from daily surface elevation dynamics can explain the morphodynamic development of tidal flats

Understanding the sensitivity of tidal flats to environmental changes is challenging.Currently,most studies rely on process-based models to systematically explain the morphodynamic evolution of tidal flats.In this study,we proposed an alternative empirical approach to explore tidal flat dynamics using statistical indices based on long-term time series of daily surface elevation development.Surface elevation dynamic(SED)indices focus on the magnitude and period of surface elevation changes,while morphodynamic signature(MDS)indices relate sediment dynamics to environmental drivers.The statistical analyses were applied to an intervention site in the Netherlands to determine the effect of recently constructed groynes on the tidal flat.Using these analyses,we were able to(1)detect a reduction in the daily SED and(2)determine that the changes in the daily SED were predominantly caused by the reduction in wave impact between the groynes rather than the reduction in tidal currents.Overall,the presented results showed that the combination of novel statistical indices provides new insights into the trajectories of tidal flats,ecosystem functioning,and sensitivity to physical drivers(wind and tides).Finally,we suggested how the SED and MDS indices may help to explore the future trajectories and climate resilience of intertidal habitats.

New Pneumatic System for Tidal Energy Conversion

In this work, a new device for tidal energy conversion is presented. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the energy conversion of tidal energy into electrical one by building a small scale prototype using a pneumatic system representing the energy conversion device. The tidal energy conversion device consists of a concrete in cylindrical shape, a moving base that moves inside the concrete cylindrical body and two single acting pistons connected to a power turbine. The system specifications that mainly affect the amount of energy are the spring stiffness and hose diameter. It was found that there is a possibility to convert the tidal energy into electrical energy using the designed prototype. The maximum amount of electricity generated using the proposed prototype was about 5 Volts.

A systematic review of morphological models of salt marshes

Salt marshes are among the most important coastal wetlands and provide critical ecological services,including climate regulation,biodiversity maintenance,and blue carbon sequestration.However,most salt marshes worldwide are shrinking,owing to the effects of natural and human factors,such as climate change and artificial reclamation.Therefore,it is essential to understand the decline in the morphological processes of salt marshes,and accordingly,the likely evolution of these marshes,in order to enable measures to be taken to mitigate this decline.To this end,this study presented an extensive systematic review of the current state of morphological models and their application to salt marshes.The emergence of process-based(PB)and data-driven(DD)models has contributed to the development of morphological models.In morphodynamic simulations in PB models,multiple physical and biological factors(e.g.,the hydrodynamics of water bodies,sediment erosion,sediment deposition,and vegetation type)have been considered.The systematic review revealed that PB models have been extended to a broader interdisciplinary field.Further,most DD models are based on remote sensing database for the prediction of morphological characteristics with latent uncertainty.Compared to DD models,PB models are more transparent but can be complex and require a lot of computational power.Therefore,to make up for the shortcomings of each model,future studies could couple PB with DD models that consider vegetation,microorganisms,and benthic animals together to simulate or predict the biogeomorphology of salt marsh systems.Nevertheless,this review found that there is a lack of unified metrics to evaluate model performance,so it is important to define clear objectives,use multiple metrics,compare multiple models,incorporate uncertainty,and involve experts in the field to provide guidance in the further study.

Contributions of annual and semiannual tidal constituents to chart datum in the China seas and adjacent waters

Global uniform chart datum(CD)surface construction is the basic upon which to realize various vertical datums transformation,and is of great importance for geospatial data expression under the same vertical datum.Generally,the CD level is computed by developing the function between tidal constituents’harmonic constants and time,i.e.,the lowest astronomical tide is taken as the lowest predicted tide level by adopting the major constituents over a 19-a period.The CD surface prescribed in China is the theoretical lowest tide(TLT)and is calculated using 13 tidal constituents,i.e.,short-period(Q_(1),O_(1),P_(1),K_(1),N_(2),M_(2),S_(2),K_(2),M_(4),MS_(4)and M_(6))and long-period(Sa and Ssa)tidal constituents.Although the accuracy in determining short-period tidal constituents has improved gradually,the long-period tide has not been studied thoroughly owing to nonstationary and temporal variations.Previous studies have intended to evaluate the effect of Sa and Ssa tides in the determination of the TLT level for the purpose of determining a more accurate CD surface for the China seas and adjacent waters.Here,the parameters of long-period tidal correction and long-period tidal correction rate were treated as the effect of both Sa and Ssa on the TLT,and the TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason series satellite altimetry data ranged from October 1992 to April 2022 were adopted to analyze the contribution of long-period tidal constituents.Results showed that the average long-period correction value is 10.10 cm(range from 8.57 cm to 14.98 cm),and that the average long-period tidal contribution rate is 14.56%(range from 9.09%to 23.97%)in the China seas and adjacent waters.Finally,data from 82 tide gauge station with at least a 1-a record of hourly observations were compared with satellite-derived result.We concluded that the long-period tidal contribution should not be neglected in TLT construction.Furthermore,to reduce tidal datum uncertainty,accurate extraction of long-period tidal constituents should receive closer attentions.

Relative importance of tidal flats and artificial habitats for two spoonbill species and related interspecific differences

Artificial/seminatural environments,such as aquacultural ponds,saltpans,and croplands,have recently been acknowledged as important habitats for coastal waterbirds.Although coastal waterbirds tend to use artificial habitats around tidal flats as roosting sites during high-tide,it remains unclear whether the importance of surrounding habitats relative to tidal flats varies among landscape types,seasons,species,or tidal conditions.The Black-faced Spoonbill(Platalea minor)and Eurasian Spoonbill(P.leucorodia)are two closely related sympatric species in East Asia with narrow and wide distribution ranges and habitat requirements,respectively.We therefore expect that both species will use surrounding artificial habitats across seasons at high tides,but Blackfaced Spoonbills will use them less frequently than Eurasian Spoonbills.Here,we address these hypotheses in the Imazu tidal flat and its surrounding environments in southern Japan.We investigated the habitat use and behavioral patterns of both species through route and behavioral surveys during the fall migration and wintering seasons in 2021.We found that both species used surrounding habitats including artificial ones more frequently than the tidal flat regardless of the tidal condition or season,but spoonbills used these habitats more frequently in winter than in autumn.We also found that Eurasian Spoonbills foraged in surrounding artificial habitats more frequently than Black-faced Spoonbills.These results not only demonstrate how coastal waterbirds exploit surrounding habitats relative to tidal flats but also suggest that the importance of surrounding habitats varies among species and seasons.Our study thus emphasizes that valuing and managing surrounding habitats in addition to tidal flats are key to conserving globally declining waterbirds.

Distribution of benthic macrofaunal communities in intertidal flat under hydrodynamic influence:a case study of Jiangsu coast,East China

To identify the distribution pattern of macrofaunal assemblages of the Dafeng intertidal flats in response to hydrodynamic and sediment dynamic processes in the northern Jiangsu coast,East China,macrofauna sampling and hydrodynamic observations were carried out simultaneously across the mud flat,mixed mud-sand flat,and silt-sand flat of the intertidal zone in June 2018.Results show that there was a clear zonal distribution pattern of the macrofaunal communities,as is controlled by local hydrological and sedimentary environments.Principal component analysis(PCA)revealed three types of intertidal area in terms of hydrological and surficial sediment parameters.Similarly,three distinct groups of the macrofaunal communities,i.e.,mud flat,mix mud-sand,and silt-sand groups,were recognized at similarity level of 24%based on the CLUSTER analysis in similarity profile(SIMPROF)test.Correlation analysis upon best variables stepwise search(BVSTEP)indicated the importance of the hydrodynamics(e.g.,water temperature and salinity,tidal duration,flow speed,suspended sediment concentration,and wave height)in the differentiation of macrofaunal communities with different taxonomic classes over the intertidal zone.Therefore,macrofaunal assemblages,similar to hydrology and surficial sediment,have a unique zonation pattern.Small-sized deposit feeders adapt better to low energy environments,thus dominated the upper part of the intertidal flat,whilst the heavy and large-sized filter feeders and deposit feeders were dominant over the middle and lower parts.The hydrodynamic and sediment processes cause biota-niche separation,which affected the biological processes across the intertidal flat.