Climate change, tsunami and biodiversity endangered at the South China Sea, past, current and prediction models for the future: A comprehensive study

Mohd Adib Mohammad Razi; Haji Zainalfikry Bin Haji Daud; Arman Mokhtar; Mahran Mahamud; Siti Nazahiyah Rahmat; Adel Ali Al-Gheethi

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113255

Climate change, tsunami and biodiversity endangered at the South China Sea, past, current and prediction models for the future: A comprehensive study

Mar Pollut Bull. 2022 Feb:175:113255. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113255. Epub 2022 Jan 21.

Authors

Mohd Adib Mohammad Razi¹, Haji Zainalfikry Bin Haji Daud², Arman Mokhtar², Mahran Mahamud², Siti Nazahiyah Rahmat³, Adel Ali Al-Gheethi⁴

Affiliations

¹ Eco Hydrology Technology Research Centre (Eco-Hytech), Faculty of Civil Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia. Electronic address: adib@uthm.edu.my.
² Department of Irrigation and Drainage Malaysia, Coastal Division, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
³ Eco Hydrology Technology Research Centre (Eco-Hytech), Faculty of Civil Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia.
⁴ Micropollutant Research Centre (MPRC), Faculty of Civil Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia. Electronic address: adelalghithi@gmail.com.

PMID: 35074593
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113255

Abstract

In this study, the climate change, tsunami and biodiversity for 336 km coastline endangered at the South China Sea was investigated with the review for the past, current and prediction models for the future. The hydraulic study of the coastal area was conducted using a well-established 2D numerical model suite Delft3D. The study revealed that the generated earthquakes at the convergence zone in the last century are small (M_w7.3), the possibility that a megathrust earthquake event in the SCS basin occurs in the future. The study area comprises a narrow strip of vegetation notably dominated by Casuarina equisetifolia with other coastal plants. Mangrove forests are found along the coastline and estuaries that are overlaid with marine alluvial soils. The current paper is the first comprehensive study of the South China Sea, and the findings increase the awareness among the public to understand the risk associated with environmental pollution.

Keywords: Biodiversity; Identification; Prediction models; Risk assessments; Tsunami.

MeSH terms

Biodiversity
China
Climate Change*
Estuaries
Tsunamis*