Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2026, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (3): 50-60.doi: 10.11978/2025140CSTR: 32234.14.2025140

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Analysis of hydrodynamic environment evolution characteristics in Zhanjiang Bay based on satellite images

GUAN Zhuoqiang1,2(), YANG Tao3, XIE Lingling1,4, LI Junyi1,2()   

  1. 1 Laboratory of Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction (Guangdong Ocean University), Zhanjiang 524088, China
    2 Key Laboratory of Space Ocean Remote Sensing and Application (National Satellite Ocean Application Service), Zhanjiang 524088, China
    3 92682 Military, Zhanjiang 524003, China
    4 Resource and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea (Guangdong Ocean University), Zhanjiang 524088, China
  • Received:2025-08-20 Revised:2025-11-01 Online:2026-05-10 Published:2026-05-28
  • Contact: LI Junyi. email: junyiocean@outlook.com
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(42276019); National Natural Science Foundation of China(42476027); Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2024A1515012572); Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2025A1515010741); Innovation Team Plan for Universities in Guangdong Province(2023KCXTD015); Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Tropical Ocean Environment in Western Coastal Waters(2024B1212040008)

Abstract:

Zhanjiang is an important growth pole of the Guangdong coastal economic belt. Industrial development has had a significant impact on the hydrodynamic environment of Zhanjiang Bay. Since water exchange capacity driven by tidal currents is a key factor in the evolution of the bay environment, studying the variations of these parameters is important for regional sustainable development. Based on nautical charts and 110 satellite images from Landsat TM/OLI during 1986-2024, we extracted water areas using the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and human-computer interaction. Tide levels were calculated through harmonic analysis using tidal gauge data from 2020. We then analyzed the temporal evolution characteristics of the average high and low tide areas and tidal inflow volumes in Zhanjiang Bay. The results show that the tidal prism of Zhanjiang Bay decreased from 500 to 420 million cubic meters during 1986—2024, with slight increases during 1994—2001 and 2014—2021. The tidal prism had notable decreases during 2002—2009. The area of tidal zones was positively correlated with tide level (r=0.44-0.86). The tidal prism rate decreased from 24.8% in 2010—2013 to 22.7% in 2022—2024, while the water half-exchange period remained stable at around 13 days before 2006, after which it gradually extended to 15 days. The reduction of intertidal zones caused by land reclamation is the main factor leading to the decline in water exchange capacity.

Key words: satellite images, tidal prism, half-exchange period, bay stability

CLC Number: 

  • P731.2