Seminar - Prof Zhen-Ren Guo - Observation and Simulation of Unusual Saltwater Intrusion into Pearl Estuary

Wednesday 10 November 2010, 2.00 - 3.00 pm
Civil Engineering Lecture Room 1

Prof Zhen-Ren Guo
South China Institute of Environmental Sciences

Abstract:
Due to reduction of water flow from upstream and changes of river geometry mainly caused by human activities, unusual saltwater intrusion has occurred since the end of last century at the Pearl Estuary, resulting in serious impacts on water supply and the environment of the delta region. A research project was launched to investigate contributions of various factors that cause the unusual saltwater intrusion. Field observation and numerical simulation were carried out to study characteristics of saltwater movement in the complicated river network as stratified flow and mixing process. Both three-dimensional fine model and one-to-three dimensional coupled model were used for different simulating purposes. Based on results of above-mentioned study, a mathematical technique is developed to forecast temporal process of salt concentration at water intakes for the purpose of precaution, and a series of engineering and management measures are proposed to control the unusual saltwater intrusion.

Biography
Dr. Guo Zhen-Ren is a research professor of South China Institute of Environmental Sciences (SCIES), Ministry of Environment Protection (MEP) of China. Dr. Guo has 21 years' experience in environmental research and consulting including 4 years' research or teaching experience at King's College and Imperial College, University of London, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, and The University of Hong Kong. He also took positions as head of Water Environment Research Centre, head of Department of Research Management, deputy director and chief engineer of SCIES, deputy director in general of Environment Protection Bureau of Yunnan Province. His research involves number of areas including water and air pollution control, solid waste management, environment policy and standards, with main focuses on environment protection planning for river basins/regions/metropolitan areas, environment impact assessment (EIA), environmental hydraulics, water quality modelling, wastewater treatment and marine disposal. In recent years Dr. Guo is assigned to work with marine environment protection issues and currently heads Marine Environment Research Centre of SCIES. He involved and is leading number of important marine-environment-related research projects such as UNEP/GEF project "Reversing Environmental Degradation Trends in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand", "Impacts of Human Activities on Near-shore Environment and Its Economic Implication". Dr. Guo is editor of two key Chinese scientific journals and has published more than 60 papers and 2 books domestically and internationally. He has been awarded 11 scientific prizes by Guangdong provincial government and MEP of China.