How tidal properties influence the future duration of coastal flooding

Abstract This paper uses a combined theoretical/empirical approach to show that 4 primary factors impact inundation times during high-tide flooding: the amplitude, period, and relative phases of semidiurnal and diurnal tide forcing, and the maximum water-level above a datum. Some regions—such as the...

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Main Author: Stefan A. Talke
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:npj Natural Hazards
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s44304-025-00086-3
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author Stefan A. Talke
author_facet Stefan A. Talke
author_sort Stefan A. Talke
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This paper uses a combined theoretical/empirical approach to show that 4 primary factors impact inundation times during high-tide flooding: the amplitude, period, and relative phases of semidiurnal and diurnal tide forcing, and the maximum water-level above a datum. Some regions—such as the US Gulf Coast—have tidal properties that lead to long high-water stands ( > 20 hours). For the same inundation depth of 0.2 m, regions with large semidiurnal tides are inundated for only 1-2 hours. Within individual estuaries, the potential duration can vary by a factor of more than two. Combined with relative sea-level rise rates that vary from less than 0 mm/yr to 10 mm/yr around North America, the observed timescale to transition from a zero to two-hour tidal flood length varies from 1-87 years. This large spatial variability in tidal inundation properties has implications for hazard planning, ecological adaptation and the future evolution of coastal flood events.
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spelling doaj-art-0d8b50fd08ce4c5b9b95be238757fdce2025-08-20T03:52:24ZengNature Portfolionpj Natural Hazards2948-21002025-04-012111110.1038/s44304-025-00086-3How tidal properties influence the future duration of coastal floodingStefan A. Talke0Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, California Polytechnic State UniversityAbstract This paper uses a combined theoretical/empirical approach to show that 4 primary factors impact inundation times during high-tide flooding: the amplitude, period, and relative phases of semidiurnal and diurnal tide forcing, and the maximum water-level above a datum. Some regions—such as the US Gulf Coast—have tidal properties that lead to long high-water stands ( > 20 hours). For the same inundation depth of 0.2 m, regions with large semidiurnal tides are inundated for only 1-2 hours. Within individual estuaries, the potential duration can vary by a factor of more than two. Combined with relative sea-level rise rates that vary from less than 0 mm/yr to 10 mm/yr around North America, the observed timescale to transition from a zero to two-hour tidal flood length varies from 1-87 years. This large spatial variability in tidal inundation properties has implications for hazard planning, ecological adaptation and the future evolution of coastal flood events.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44304-025-00086-3
spellingShingle Stefan A. Talke
How tidal properties influence the future duration of coastal flooding
npj Natural Hazards
title How tidal properties influence the future duration of coastal flooding
title_full How tidal properties influence the future duration of coastal flooding
title_fullStr How tidal properties influence the future duration of coastal flooding
title_full_unstemmed How tidal properties influence the future duration of coastal flooding
title_short How tidal properties influence the future duration of coastal flooding
title_sort how tidal properties influence the future duration of coastal flooding
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s44304-025-00086-3
work_keys_str_mv AT stefanatalke howtidalpropertiesinfluencethefuturedurationofcoastalflooding