The Ingenieur Vol. 65 Water Power | Page 18

INGENIEUR Station No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Location Pulau Langkawi Pulau Pinang Lumut Pelabuhan Klang Tanjung Keling Kukup Johor Bahru Tanjung Sedili Pulau Tioman Tanjung Gelang Chendering Geting Sejingkat Bintulu Labuan Kota Kinabalu Kudat Sandakan Lahad Datu Tawau Latitude 06° 25' 51'' 05° 25' 18'' 04° 14' 24'' 03° 03' 00'' 02° 12' 54'' 01° 19' 31'' 01° 27' 42'' 01° 55' 54'' 02° 48' 26'' 03° 58' 30'' 05° 15' 54'' 06° 13' 35'' 01° 34' 58'' 03° 15' 44'' 05° 16' 22'' 05° 59' 00'' 06° 52' 46'' 05° 48' 36'' 05° 01' 08'' 04° 14' 00'' Longitude 99° 45' 51'' 100° 20' 48'' 100° 36'48'' 101° 21' 30'' 102° 09' 12'' 103° 26' 34'' 103° 47' 30'' 104° 06' 54'' 104° 08' 24'' 103° 25' 48'' 103° 11' 12'' 102° 06' 24'' 110° 25' 20'' 113° 03' 50'' 115° 15' 00'' 116° 04' 00'' 116° 50' 37'' 118° 04' 02'' 118° 20' 46'' 117° 53' 00'' SLR Rate (mm/year) 1.9 2.3 2.1 1.3 1.3 3.0 2.3 1.2 1.8 2.6 2.2 1.3 -5.8 0.2 0.7 4.4 3.0 4.1 3.6 3.5 Table 1: The rates of sea level rise along the coast of Malaysia based on tide gauge observation data from 1984 -2010 (Source: NAHRIM, 2010) 1. To assess the trend/pattern of sea level rise along the Malaysian coast using observed data and determine the rate of SLR 2. To project SLR along the coast for the years 2020, 2040, 2060, 2080 and 2100; 3. To determine critical areas that will be impacted by the change in hydrodynamic processes caused by SLR, such as inundation, erosion, salt water intrusion etc., and to determine the impact on the coastal environment and resources. Measures can then be proposed to minimize economic loss. Methodology For the above study, recorded tidal gauge data (1984-2010) from 20 JUPEM stations and satellite altimetry data (1993-2010) from 30 stations around Malaysia were independently analysed using linear regression analysis to obtain the rates of SLR for Malaysia coast. The linear trends in SLR along the coast were significantly higher for the satellite altimeter 6 16 VOL - MARCH 2016 VOL65 55JANUARY JUNE 2013 observations when compared with the tide gauge observations. Uncertainties in satellite altimeter observations are well described and there was no missing data for these observations. Furthermore, it was possible to correct the errors in the satellite observations (NAHRIM, 2010). Therefore, this study utilizes the rates obtained from satellite altimeter data derived from the global mean SLR projection from the results of 49 simulations of seven coupled Atmospheric-Oceanic General Circulation Models (AOCGM) as the basis for assimilating future SLR projections along the coast of Malaysia (NAHRIM, 2010). NAHRIM (2010) noted that the spatial variation of SLR derived from tidal gauge and satellite altimeter data differed from that projected by the AOGCM. Eventually, the global mean sea level projections simulated from the AOGCM were assimilated into the satellite altimeter observations along the coastline (NAHRIM, 2010) to obtain the projected sea level rise along the Malaysian coastline.