Effect of Long-Term Changes of Marine Factors on River Mouths

摘要

The main marine hydrological factors that influence the regime and structure of river mouths, including the mean (background) sea level, waves, tides, and storm surges, are discussed. Special attention is given to the long-term changes in the water levels of the World Ocean and in related seas that occurred during the XIX-XX centuries and to the predicted considerable sea level rise in the XXI century. The role of natural and anthropogenic land subsidence in variations of water levels in river deltas is assessed. The main hydrological and morphological processes at river mouths related to the sea level rise are considered. Special attention is given to the discussion of insufficiently studied problems such as changes in the characteristics of tides and storm surges under the condition of the sea level rise and nonlinear interaction of these phenomena.