Abstract

MEDELLIN, Gabriela et al. Influence of tides on the hydrodynamics of the Mecoacán-González River system, Mexico. Tecnol. cienc. agua [online]. 2013, vol.4, n.2, pp.71-90. ISSN 2007-2422.

The state of Tabasco is highly vulnerable to flooding, with the most serious in recent years occuring in 2007, covering 62% of its territory. For this reason, the Comprehensive Water Plan of Tabasco was created in order to identify solutions to diminish the vulnerability of this area to extreme events. One of the possible solutions is to divert large volumes of water to the Samaria River, which flows through the Gonzalez River into the ocean. This study analyzes the flow behavior of the Mecoacán-González River system and the role tides play in its regulation. In the Gonzalez River, the flow towards the ocean decreases significantly during high tide, and even stops during neap tides. The flow in the Hondo River (from the Gonzalez River into the Mecoacan Lagoon) can reverse itself, and in the mouth of the lagoon it is regulated by the tide. This suggests that a significant increase in water volume in the Gonzalez River would be subject to a slow flow discharge into the sea due to the effect of tidal currents, which could cause an increase in the level of the river water and present a flood risk in the area during extreme weather events. Evidence for tidal wave penetration into locations far from the river mouth suggests that the tide could also regulate the river upstream. In addition, observations of the water's physical properties indicate that temperature and salinity near the mouth depend on sea water intrusion, while distant locations depend on atmospheric factors.

Keywords : coastal flooding; Tabasco; coastal lagoon; PHIT.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )