NUMERICAL COMPUTATIONS OF STORM SURGES WITH BOTTOM STRESS

Abstract

A linear form of the transport equations of motion is used to compute numerically storm surges generated by model tropical storms traveling across model basins. The storms move in any fixed direction and speed relative to a straight line coast and have a restricted number of physical parameters to fix their strength and size. These parameters are readily available in most weather stations. A dissipating mechanism introduced by Platzman, using only an eddy viscosity coefficient is modified to include a bottom slip current by means of a bottom slip coefficient. These two coefficients are used to control the amplitude of resurgences on the sea following the passage of tropical storms. Numerical values for the coefficients are empirically determined by comparing computed and observed resurgences off Atlantic City. Nomograms prepared from the computations may have some skill in forecasting future storm surges.