Numerical Study on Effects of Coastline Change on Salinity variation in the Liao River Estuary

A 3D numerical model is used to simulate the effect of coastline change on salinity distribution variation in the Liao River Estuary (LHE), China, consists of shallow channel and extensive tidal flat. Simulations are run with reclamation and land-ocean interaction to evaluate their effects on salinity transport for LHE. It is so evident to express the salinity diurnal varying with tide rather than the amount of runoff discharge; the LHE is always the rising tide advantage free of reclamation. To succinctly quantify the asymmetry degree of salinity distribution across the Gaizhou beach (GZB), the calculated parameter of low-salinity area is chosen. For dry seasons, such as May, the amplitude of its scale is from 209.54 km² reducing to 185.6 km². More interestingly, it demonstrates the variation shape divided into increasing at the west of GZB and decreasing in the east, varying from 7.4 to 20.9 km², especially the east of GZB. Despite the trend is basically consistent with flood seasons, the scale is 1.6 times higher than dry seasons. Reclamation has impact on low-salinity area variation enhanced coastal change influences on salinity distribution are less distinctive, but significant in ecological sustainability just like fishery breeding stability.