Abstract: Estuaries are dynamic transition zones where tides, river discharge, and storm surges interact across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Estuaries are increasingly vulnerable to climate change and human interventions, yet remain systems of profound socio-economic and ecological importance. In this talk, I demonstrate how simplified, process-based models can be used to understand the governing dynamics of estuarine systems. Using a suite of semi-analytical models for idealized estuarine configurations with simplified forcing and geometry, we isolate and quantify the key mechanisms controlling salt intrusion, sediment transport, and flooding under varying estuarine settings and forcing conditions. By reducing complexity while retaining the essential physics, these approaches provide mechanistic insight, enable systematic exploration of parameter space, and complement comprehensive numerical simulations. Such frameworks offer powerful tools for advancing fundamental understanding of complex estuarine dynamics while informing coastal management in a changing climate.
Bio: Xiaoyan completed her PhD in the Applied Mathematics Department at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, after which she joined the National Oceanography Centre, Liverpool, where she is now a Senior Coastal Research Scientist. Her research interestes include estuarine circulation, salt intrusion, sediment transport; estuarine & coastal flooding, nature-based solutions; ocean-shelf exchange and arctic ocean dynamics.