Abstract:The sea-reaching section of the Pinglu Canal Project spans from Qinzhou Bay to Qingnian Hub,experiencing intense saltwater intrusion under tidal processes.With intensified global climate change,the impact of strong winds on the exchange of salt-fresh water in estuaries is becoming increasingly significant,which has adverse effects on the water abstraction for adjacent farmlands and the anti-corrosion of ship locks.Therefore,it is necessary to study the impact mechanism of saltwater intrusion in the Qinjiang River Estuary under strong wind conditions.Considering the channel excavation scale and hub operation mode of the Pinglu Canal Project,a large-scale three-dimensional numerical model of Qinzhou Bay-Maowei Sea-Qingnian Hub is developed to investigate the effects of flow field,salinity distribution,saltwater intrusion distance,and salt flux in the Qinjiang River Estuary under strong winds.Results show that when wind direction aligns with the tidal motion,wind stress increases surface flow velocity and decreases bottom flow velocity.When opposing,it decreases surface flow velocity and increases bottom flow velocity.Wind stress significantly promotes intrusion of high-salinity water,with the 19‰ isohaline advancing up to 3.1 km.During neap tide,wind stress effectively suppresses salinity stratification.The maximum saltwater intrusion distance increases by 2.08 km.The maximum increase in the landward salt flux is 11.53%,and the maximum decrease in the seaward salt flux is 10.61%.