A model downscaling approach is used to investigate the effects of sea-level rise (SLR) on local tides. Results indicate that SLR induces larger increases in tidal amplitude and stronger nonlinear tidal distortion in the bay compared to the adjacent shelf sea. SLR can also change shallow-water tidal asymmetry and influence the direction and magnitude of bed-load sediment transport. The model downscaling approach is widely applicable for local SLR projections in estuaries and coastal bays.

This study is dedicated to tidally induced dynamics in the Sylt-Rømø Bight with a focus on the non-linear component. The tidal residual circulation and asymmetric tidal cycles largely define the circulation pattern, transport and accumulation of sediment, and the distribution of bedforms. The newly obtained high-quality bathymetric data supported the use of high-resolution grids (up to 2 m in the intertidal zone) and elaboration of the details of tidal energy transformation in the domain.