Effects of different vegetation drag parameterizations on the tidal propagation in coastal marshlands

•Four vegetation drag parameterizations were compared in one model for the first time.•Parameterizations had different sensitivities to tides and vegetation characteristics.•Selection of vegetation drag parameterization should be specific. Vegetation drag is a fundamental quantity directly affecting results for both long- and short-term coastal marsh and geomorphological studies. The vegetation drag in coastal marshland has been modeled by various two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) numerical parameterizations. 2D parameterizations treat coastal marshes as bottom roughness elements, while 3D parameterizations resolve the vertically-variable vegetation drag through the water column. However, differences in tidal propagation arising from different drag parameterizations within a single model are largely unknown, and clear guidance on parameterization selection is still missing. In this study, we implemented four vegetation drag parameterizations into the Model for Prediction Across Scales-Ocean (MPAS-O), which include 1) a 2D parameterization using land-cover type-determined Manning’s n (2DLM); 2) a 2D parameterization using vegetation-determined Manning’s n (2DVM); 3) a 3D parameterization for stiff vegetation (3DSV); and 4) a 3D parameterization for flexible vegetation (3DFV). Estimates of the flow resistance effects from these parameterizations were compared using a series of idealized tidal propagation simulations. Given the same tidal condition, flooding depth and flooding distance are the largest in the 2DLM simulations and the smallest in the 3DSV simulations. 2DVM results are the closest to the 2DLM results. 3DFV results are the closest to the average of 2DVM, 3DSV, and 3DFV results. 2DVM and 3DSV results are the least and most sensitive to the vegetation aboveground biomass, respectively. Based on the input data requirement and computational efficiency of each parameterization, a comparison summary is provided to help inform parameterization selection for specific applications. The effects of these parameterizations on coastal geomorphology are further discussed, and the results demonstrate that estimates of the long-term evolution of coastal marshes and coastal morphology depend upon the selection of the vegetation drag parameterization.