Abstract
Coastal regions are dynamic areas that often lie at the junction of different natural hazards. Extreme events such as storm surges and high precipitation are significant sources of concern for flood management. As climatic changes and sea-level rise put further pressure on these vulnerable systems, there is a need for a better understanding of the implications of compounding hazards. Recent computational advances in hydraulic modelling offer new opportunities to support decision-making and adaptation. Our research makes use of recently released features in the HEC-RAS version 5.0 software to develop an integrated 1D–2D hydrodynamic model. Using extreme value analysis with the Peaks-Over-Threshold method to define extreme scenarios, the model was applied to the eastern coast of the UK. The sensitivity of the protected wetland known as the Broads to a combination of fluvial, tidal and coastal sources of flooding was assessed, accounting for different rates of twenty-first century sea-level rise up to the year 2100. The 1D–2D approach led to a more detailed representation of inundation in coastal urban areas, while allowing for interactions with more fluvially dominated inland areas to be captured. While flooding was primarily driven by increased sea levels, combined events exacerbated flooded area by 5–40% and average depth by 10–32%, affecting different locations depending on the scenario. The results emphasise the importance of catchment-scale strategies that account for potentially interacting sources of flooding.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 915-937 |
Number of pages | 23 |
Journal | Natural Hazards |
Volume | 98 |
Issue number | 3 |
Early online date | 30 Aug 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sept 2019 |
Keywords
- Flooding
- Hydraulic modelling
- Storm surge
- Sea-level rise
- Compound hazard
- Extreme value analysis
Profiles
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Helen He
- Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research - Associate Professor Hydrology & Climate Change Rsch
- School of Environmental Sciences - Associate Professor Hydrology & Climate Change Rsch
- Water Security Research Centre - Member
- Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences - Member
- Geosciences - Member
- ClimateUEA - Member
Person: Research Group Member, Research Centre Member, Academic, Teaching & Research
-
Kevin Hiscock
- School of Environmental Sciences - Professor of Environmental Sciences
- Water Security Research Centre - Member
- Geosciences - Member
- ClimateUEA - Member
Person: Member, Research Group Member, Research Centre Member, Academic, Teaching & Research