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Observing storm surges from space: Hurricane Igor off Newfoundland.
Guoqi Han1, Zhimin Ma, Dake Chen
1Biological and Physical Oceanography Section, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, St. John's, NL, Canada. Guoqi.Han@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Scientific Reports
|December 22, 2012
Summary
Satellite altimetry combined with tide gauges effectively monitors storm surges. This study analyzed Hurricane Igor
Area of Science:
- Oceanography
- Climate Science
- Coastal Engineering
Background:
- Coastal communities face increasing storm surge vulnerability due to climate change.
- Tide gauges monitor alongshore storm surge variations but lack cross-shelf data.
- Satellite altimetry offers a complementary method for observing storm surges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the storm surge from Hurricane Igor off Newfoundland.
- To demonstrate the utility of satellite altimetry in storm surge analysis.
- To validate and improve storm surge models using combined data.
Main Methods:
- Combined Jason-2 satellite altimetry data with tide-gauge measurements.
- Analyzed sea level variations following Hurricane Igor.
- Investigated cross-shelf storm surge features.
Main Results:
- Satellite observations confirmed a 1-meter storm surge, consistent with tide-gauge data.
- Identified equatorward-propagating continental shelf waves influencing post-storm sea level variations.
- Quantified wave characteristics: ~10 m/s phase speed and ~100 km cross-shelf decay scale.
Conclusions:
- Satellite altimetry is crucial for observing and understanding storm surges.
- Combining satellite and tide-gauge data enhances storm surge analysis.
- This approach aids in validating and improving storm surge models.
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