Estimation and Impacts of Sea Level Rise in Santos Port and Adjacent Areas (Brazil)

• Main Authors: Paolo Alfredini, Emilia Arasaki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Gdynia Maritime University 2018-12-01
• Series: TransNav: International Journal on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation
• Subjects: Sea Level; Port of Santos; Brazilian Coast; Santos Bay; Mean Sea Level (MSL); Sea Level Rise (SLR); Tide Gauge; PIANC
• Online Access: http://www.transnav.eu/files/Estimation and Impacts of Sea Level Rise in Santos Port and Adjacent Areas (Brazil),860.pdf

Santos Port is located in Brazilian coast, in an estuarine area inside Santos Bay named Baixada Santista. The currents behavior is forced by tides. The resulting tidal level variability (high tide, mean sea level and low tide) recorded from Santos Dock Company tide gauge (1940 to 2014) shows a consistent increasing trend. The estimation about the magnitude of mean sea level rise (MSLR) in recommendations, guidelines or requirements issued by different countries and agencies from 1990 provide examples of different approaches used around the world in comparison with the local trends obtained for Santos Port. It is concluded that MSLR will have a considerable impact upon the port and adjacent areas, with approximately 1.0 m rise estimated from 1990 to 2100. Baixada Santista is a lowland situated a few meters upper from the sea level and some areas are possible to be submerged in the end of this century. Not only the wetlands of mangroves will be affected, but also the infrastructures, residential zones and the port will face problems. The major SLR impacts upon port operation will be the reduction of freeboard of the quays, flooding of storage yards (and other low storage areas) and of the internal transport tracks or rails. Also the increasing sedimentation in the nautical areas of access channels, turning basins and berths, will induce more maintenance dredging.