.

Unite education, research and practice in innovative projects that stand out for interdisciplinary leadership

NEED: what are the effects?
The circulation in the North Sea after NEED is built. For the wind direction and wind speed, year-round average values are taken. The thickness of the arrows indicates the velocity of the currents.
The circulation in the North Sea after NEED is built. For the wind direction and wind speed, year-round average values are taken. The thickness of the arrows indicates the velocity of the currents.
a) The study area with simplified depths. b) The simplified rectangular basin with its dimensions.
a) The study area with simplified depths. b) The simplified rectangular basin with its dimensions.
Maps with average resuspension locations in the North Sea in the current situation (a) and in the situation with NEED (b). The orange color depicts the resuspension induced by tides and the pink color depicts the resuspension induced by waves (NOAH, 2006). It can be seen that in the situation with NEED, no resuspension by tides occurs.
Maps with average resuspension locations in the North Sea in the current situation (a) and in the situation with NEED (b). The orange color depicts the resuspension induced by tides and the pink color depicts the resuspension induced by waves (NOAH, 2006). It can be seen that in the situation with NEED, no resuspension by tides occurs.
The salinity distribution over the depth in an average intersection of the North Sea basin. (a) Section AA', the initial state based on the current salinity of the North Sea basin. (b) Section AA' with NEED, the equilibrium state.
The salinity distribution over the depth in an average intersection of the North Sea basin. (a) Section AA', the initial state based on the current salinity of the North Sea basin. (b) Section AA' with NEED, the equilibrium state.
Change of the temperature of the North Sea basin after the construction of NEED showing both the average decrease as well as the monthly change in temperature.
Change of the temperature of the North Sea basin after the construction of NEED showing both the average decrease as well as the monthly change in temperature.
Preliminary results showing the sea surface height exceeded once every 20 years, obtained using a numerical simulation (Groeskamp & Kjellsson, 2020). Half-NEED significantly reduces the amplitude in several coastal regions.
Preliminary results showing the sea surface height exceeded once every 20 years, obtained using a numerical simulation (Groeskamp & Kjellsson, 2020). Half-NEED significantly reduces the amplitude in several coastal regions.
The location of NEED (in red) and the enclosed basin consisting of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea (in blue), as proposed by Groeskamp & Kjellsson (2020).
The location of NEED (in red) and the enclosed basin consisting of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea (in blue), as proposed by Groeskamp & Kjellsson (2020).
Previous
Next

Northern European Enclosure Dam: what are the effects?

The future of the North Sea if climate mitigation fails

Many low-lying densely populated areas and important economical regions in Europe are threatened by sea level rise. A possible solution was proposed by Groeskamp & Kjellson (2020): to build a massive dam closing off the North Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. This article explores the consequences of this drastic measure. Tidal elevations and currents would reduce, which limits sediment transport. Besides this, the basin would freshen and water temperature differences would increase. Moreover, the consequences for the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO world heritage site, are presented.

Interested to read more? Find the article on the Delta Links publication of June 2021

TU Delft Civil Engineering MSc. students Carlijn Meijers. Charlotte van Strien, Freek Kollaard, Irene van der Veer and Laura de Vries, supervised by Dr. Sjoerd Groeskamp (Tenure track Scientist, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research) and Dr. Ir. Martine Rutten (Associate Professor of Water Management, Delft University of Technology) | June 2021

Related: