Dr.  Soufiane  Haddout
Ibn Tofail University,  Morocco

Title: The impact of sea level rise on salinity gradient power in estuaries

Abstract:

In the present work, the effect of sea level rise (SLR) on blue energy (SGE) in estuaries is investigated for the first time by means of 2D-numerical computation; and the model results are plotted by Ocean Data View (ODV). The Sebou estuary (Morocco) was selected as an example location due to the availability of field survey data and is an optimal site for energy production. To assess the impacts of SLR on salinity gradient energy, three scenarios of sea level rise were used in the model simulation by adding water depths of 0.3 (ΔH-30), 0.6 (ΔH-60), and 0.9 (ΔH-90), combined with freshwater conditions at upstream of the mouth.  Firstly, the model was then combined to assess the impact of transport time scales (i.e., Flushing Time (TF) and Residence Time (RT)) due to possible sea-level rise on blue energy in the mouth of the estuary. The results showed that FT for high flow under the present sea-level (0 m) was lower compared to different SLR scenarios (i.e., 0.3 m, 0.6 m, and 0.9 m) and that the FT for low flow under the present sea-level (0 m) was higher compared to different SLR scenarios. The RT for the present sea-level (0 m) and different SLR scenarios was between 14.75-33.14h and between 17.11-38.92h (0.3m); 21.54-41.23h (0.6m); and 27.17-46.27h (0.9m), respectively. The increase of salinity gradient energy with residence time and the corresponding decrease with flushing time as a result of the increase in sea level rise is clearly evident in the studied estuarine mouth. For RT the extractable salinity energy increased by 5-17% for SLR values of 0.3 m, 0.6 m, and 0.9 m, respectively. Inversely, the FT decreases the salinity gradient energy for SLR values by 3.4-11%. Secondly, the simulations results for extractable salinity gradient energy showed that the optimal intake points related to the design of a PRO or RED system in the mouth system moves significantly upstream of the estuary in all cases and the maximum zone of optimal intake point may reach >10 km in the worst scenario (ΔH=0.9).

Biography:

Dr., S. Haddout is researcher in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ibn Tofail University, Morocco. To date, he is the author of 2 books, 2 submitted books, published more than 50 refereed journal articles with 40 refereed articles as the first; is involved in collaborative research with 18 universities/institutions worldwide; expert reviewer with AEIC-Academic Exchange Information Centre (China); is a reviewer for many project proposals from international universities; received more than 80 certificates from international conference and renowned journals; invited speaker for many international conferences. Award-2020, 2021 and 2022-International Research Awards, Iceat conference…etc. Lead-Chair of the scientific session of the 18th International Conference of Computational Methods in Sciences (Greece); Co-Chair of the scientific session of the International Conference of Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation USA; and is a Guest Editor of Regional Studies in Marine Science, Elsevier and active reviewer of reputed journals of Elsevier, Taylor & Francis, Springer, etc.