Numerical analysis of ebb water split ratio of the south and north branch in the Changjiang Estuary

The change of water split ratio has important impacts on the fluvial process, saltwater intrusion and navigation in estuary area. A 2D hydrodynamics numerical model of the Changjiang Estuary was set up using Delft3D-FLOW. The calculation results are consistent well with the real measured data, which indicates that the model can be used in hydrodynamic analysis. Simulation results show that the ebb water split ratio of the North Branch in the flood season is larger than that in the dry season, while the situation of the South Branch is opposite. Under the condition of different tidal types, the ebb water split ratio for the North Branch is maximum during the spring tide, and minimum during the neap tide, while the one during the middle tide takes the second place.