The Bay of Fundy is characterized by the world’s largest tidal range, creatng a highly dynamic
coastal environment with significant flood risks due to high water levels from interacting
waves, storm surge, and tides. Within this region, the Chignecto Isthmus, a narrow land bridge
connecting Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, is a critical, but vulnerable, corridor for
transportation.
Historically, an extensive network of dikes and aboiteaux, originally constructed by Acadian
settlers, has protected agricultural lands and critical infrastructure. However, much of this
aging system was not designed to withstand present or future hydrodynamic conditions.
Recent studies show that even moderate storm events, when coinciding with high tides, can
result in substantial coastal flooding across the isthmus.
Although the isthmus requires protection, its highly energetic tidal environment makes in situ
measurement and monitoring challenging. This study leverages data from the Surface Water
and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission to enhance model validation in this complex settng. A
multi-scale modeling framework is implemented, combining the WaveWatch III (WW3) wave
model, a three-dimensional coupled hydrodynamic–wave model (SCHISM-WWM) to resolve
wave–current interactions and tidal dynamics, and a reduced-physics model (SFINCS) to
simulate inland flooding processes.
By integrating new satellite observations with multi-scale hydrodynamic models, this research
aims to improve flood prediction accuracy and provide robust tools for risk assessment and
climate adaptation planning in the Chignecto Isthmus. More broadly this research contributes
to OPEN-FRANC, a national research program focused on advancing open-access, inland and
coastal flood hazard mapping and climate resilience.