珠江河口盐度和输运过程对未来海平面上升的响应

研究海平面上升对河口的影响情况有助于了解输运过程的变化,基于21世纪海平面上升预测研究(陈长霖,2012;张吉,2014),本文选取珠江河口这一径优型与潮优型并存的河口为研究区域,利用数值模拟的方法,研究其在未来海平面上升后可能出现的响应。结果表明,河口的平均盐度、咸潮上溯距离和层化强度都将随着海平面的上升而增加,这些因素的变化有着明显的季节性。伶仃洋平均盐度在4月和10月增加更多;伶仃洋枯水期咸潮上溯距离的增量大于丰水期,磨刀门则相反;伶仃洋丰水期层化强度及其增量都要大于枯水期。海平面上升后的输运过程响应结果显示:(1) 垂向输运时间将增加,虽然海平面上升带来的潮差潮流的增强将加强垂向混合,但是层化的加强会削弱垂向交换。垂向输运时间的增加是由于层化的加强,层化加强抑制了潮汐变化带来的影响,表层水更难交换到底层; (2) 南北向河口环流将加强,表层余流向海加强,底层余流向陆加强,南北向余流整体向海减小。造成这些现象的主要原因是海平面上升后水深增加带来的河道比降的减小和压力梯度力的改变。

Responses of estuarine salinity and transport processes to sea level rise in the Zhujiang (Pearl River) Estuary

Understanding the changes of hydrodynamics in estuaries with respect to magnitude of sea level rise is important to understand the changes of transport process. Based on prediction of sea level rise over the 21st century, the Zhujiang (Pearl River) Estuary was chosen as a prototype to study the responses of the estuary to potential sea level rise. The numerical model results show that the average salt content, saltwater intrusion distance, and stratification will increase as the sea level rises. The changes of these parameters have obvious seasonal variations. The salt content in the Lingdingyang shows more increase in April and October (the transition periods). The saltwater intrusion distance has larger increase during the low-flow periods than during the high-flow periods in the Lingdingyang. The result is just the opposite in Modaomen. The stratification and its increase are larger during the low-flow periods than during the high-flow periods in Lingdingyang. The response results of transport processes to sea level rise demonstrate that: (1) The time of vertical transport has pronounced increase. The increased tidal range and currents would reinforce the vertical mixing, but the increased stratification would weaken the vertical exchange. The impact of stratification changes overwhelms the impact of tidal changes. It would be more difficult for the surface water to reach the bottom. (2) The lengthways estuarine circulation would be strengthened. Both the offshore surface residual current and inshore bottom residual current will be enhanced. The whole meridional resident flow along the transect of the Lingdingyang would be weakened. These phenomena are caused by the decrease of water surface slope (WWS) and the change of static pressure with the increase of water depth under sea level rise.