A coupled modelling system to assess the effect of Mediterranean storms under climate change

Abstract

Abstract. Climate change will have an undeniable influence on coastal areas. In the last decades, the impact of storm surges has promoted multiple mitigation and adaptation strategies worldwide, including more robust sea defenses, development of integrated modelling chains and warning systems, and improved storm impact management. However, as climate change seems likely to result in increased rates of both sea level rise and storm-related impacts, it is crucial to estimate the local probable extreme sea wave conditions, to properly reproduce the wave and hydrodynamic inshore field, and to investigate the effectiveness of sea defenses under different sea level rise scenarios. This work describes the first steps towards an innovative fully coupled modelling system composed of a hydrodynamic (2DEF) and wind wave model (SWAN). The models are two-way coupled at half-hourly intervals exchanging the following fields: 2D sea level, surface currents and bottom elevation are transferred from 2DEF to SWAN; wave climate computed by SWAN is then passed to 2DEF by modifying the radiation stress. Numerical simulations have been performed to identify the impact of extreme storms at Calabaia beach, Italy, by combining sea level rise and extreme wave projections with the most recent georeferenced territorial data.

Floods Countermeasures by Hybrid Appraches with Hard and Natural Engineering and Flooding events at Mediterranean Coasts

“…The presence of climate change drives affecting storm surges, extreme wave conditions, and flooding, can lead to significant alterations in coastal hydrodynamics [13]. It is noteworty to highlight that the sustainable transformation of the threatened coastal regions is also recognized in the Global Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030, with recommendations to focus on measures making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, long-lasting, and sustainable, and soliciting the participation of policy makers, stakeholders, and authorities to face with the consequences of climate change at coasts [14].…”

Salinity Intrusion Trends under the Impacts of Upstream Discharge and Sea Level Rise along the Co Chien River and Hau River in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta

“…The difference is that the scenarios could depend on the human activities in local and upstream areas. Mathematical modeling methods are typically applied to climate change research and run simulations to forecast future phenomena through defined scenarios [16,17,18,19,20]. A one-dimensional (1-D) hydraulic model is a mathematical model that simulates the flow properties in a river network [21].…”