Gulf of Mexico hurricane wave simulations using SWAN: Bulk formula-based drag coefficient sensitivity for Hurricane Ike

Coastal marshes along the northern Gulf of Mexico coastline provide very important ecosystem services such as serving as habitat for a variety of flora and fauna and providing flood protection for inland areas. A growing body of research has documented how hurricane storm surge sedimentation has increased the elevation of coastal marshes along the northern Gulf of Mexico coastline. This study investigates spatial variations in sediment distribution on McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, USA, which is in the geographic region that was impacted by the right-front quadrant of Hurricane Ike. This research builds upon a prior study on hurricane storm surge sedimentation in which the sediment deposits from hurricanes&#8217; Audrey, Carla, Rita, and Ike were identified on a marsh transect on McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge. The purpose of this study was to discover how hurricane storm surge sedimentation spatially varies in relation to the landfall location of Hurricane Ike. Fieldwork conducted in 2017-2018 involved digging shallow pits on four coastal marsh transects between Sabine Pass, Texas and High Island, Texas. Elevations were measured at each pit site along all four transects using a telescopic lens and stadia rod. The transects extend 880-1630 meters, with pit sites beginning near the coastline and extending landward. Results obtained in the field indicate that the Hurricane Ike sediment deposit has been found on all four transects, and that the deposit decreases in thickness moving landward along each transect. Furthermore, the observational results of this study were used in Regression Analyses to model hurricane storm surge sediment deposit thickness based on pit site distance inland, pit site elevation, and distance from the landfall of Hurricane Ike. Moreover, Analysis of Variance revealed whether distance inland, distance from landfall location, and the interaction between distance inland and distance from landfall location had any significant effect on storm surge deposit thickness. Actual sediment deposit thicknesses measured in the field were compared to the Regression and Analysis of Variance results. Results show that the Power Law Curve from the Regression Analyses was the most robust predictor of pit site sediment thickness based on distance inland, with an R2 value of 0.538. Additionally, the Regression and Analysis of Variance results revealed that transect distance from the landfall location of Hurricane Ike was the only independent variable that could not predict or explain storm surge deposit thickness; which is very likely due to all four transects being in the right-front quadrant of landfalling Hurricane Ike. The findings of this study provide improved understanding of the spatial relationship between storm surge sedimentation and storm surge heights, valuable knowledge about the sedimentary response of coastal marshes subject to storm surge deposition, and useful guidance to public policy aimed at combating the effects of sea-level rise on coastal marshes along the northern Gulf of Mexico coastline.&#160;

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Storm surge and wave simulations in the Gulf of Mexico using a consistent drag relation for atmospheric and storm surge models

Natural Hazards and Earth System Science ◽

10.5194/nhess-12-2399-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 2399-2410 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

D. Vatvani ◽

N. C. Zweers ◽

M. van Ormondt ◽

A. J. Smale ◽

H. de Vries ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wind Speed ◽

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Drag Coefficient ◽

Storm Surge ◽

Weather Prediction ◽

Surface Wind ◽

Wave Model ◽

Water Levels ◽

Observation Data ◽

Wave Effects

Abstract. To simulate winds and water levels, numerical weather prediction (NWP) and storm surge models generally use the traditional bulk relation for wind stress, which is characterized by a wind drag coefficient. A still commonly used drag coefficient in those models, some of them were developed in the past, is based on a relation, according to which the magnitude of the coefficient is either constant or increases monotonically with increasing surface wind speed (Bender, 2007; Kim et al., 2008; Kohno and Higaki, 2006). The NWP and surge models are often tuned independently from each other in order to obtain good results. Observations have indicated that the magnitude of the drag coefficient levels off at a wind speed of about 30 m s−1, and then decreases with further increase of the wind speed. Above a wind speed of approximately 30 m s−1, the stress above the air-sea interface starts to saturate. To represent the reducing and levelling off of the drag coefficient, the original Charnock drag formulation has been extended with a correction term. In line with the above, the Delft3D storm surge model is tested using both Charnock's and improved Makin's wind drag parameterization to evaluate the improvements on the storm surge model results, with and without inclusion of the wave effects. The effect of waves on storm surge is included by simultaneously simulating waves with the SWAN model on identical model grids in a coupled mode. However, the results presented here will focus on the storm surge results that include the wave effects. The runs were carried out in the Gulf of Mexico for Katrina and Ivan hurricane events. The storm surge model was initially forced with H*wind data (Powell et al., 2010) to test the effect of the Makin's wind drag parameterization on the storm surge model separately. The computed wind, water levels and waves are subsequently compared with observation data. Based on the good results obtained, we conclude that, for a good reproduction of the storm surges under hurricane conditions, Makin's new drag parameterization is favourable above the traditional Charnock relation. Furthermore, we are encouraged by these results to continue the studies and establish the effect of improved Makin's wind drag parameterization in the wave model. The results from this study will be used to evaluate the relevance of extending the present towards implementation of a similar wind drag parameterization in the SWAN wave model, in line with our aim to apply a consistent wind drag formulation throughout the entire storm surge modelling approach.

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IMMEDIATE IMPACTS OF HURRICANE IKE ON THE TEXAS COAST

Coastal Engineering Proceedings ◽

10.9753/icce.v32.management.14 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 1 (32) ◽

pp. 14 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Billy L Edge ◽

Lesley Ewing ◽

Robert G Dean ◽

James M Kaihatu ◽

Margery F Overton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Storm Surge ◽

Coastal Management ◽

Hurricane Ike ◽

Property Damage ◽

Texas Coast ◽

American Society ◽

One Year ◽

High Winds ◽

Civil Engineers

Hurricane Ike was a large storm as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico. When it entered into Texas it caused a storm surge of up to 4 m and substantial waves with high winds represented by a Category 2 hurricane. The storm caused extensive flooding and erosion which led to significant property damage on Boliver Peninsula and on Galveston Island. COPRI (Coasts, Oceans, Ports and Rivers Institute) of the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) sponsored a team of engineers and scientists to observe the coast and collect perishable data approximately one month after the storm. One of the main conclusions from the inspection of buildings was that elevation was a key determinant for survival. Members of the team returned for another visit approximately one year later to observe how the recovery had progressed. Those observations show some redevelopment but also some serious flaws in the coastal management implementation.

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INUNDATION AND DESTRUCTION ON THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA DURING HURRICANE IKE

Coastal Engineering Proceedings ◽

10.9753/icce.v32.management.15 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 1 (32) ◽

pp. 15

Author(s):

Andrew Kennedy ◽

Matild Dosa ◽

Franciso Zarama ◽

Uriah Gravois ◽

Brian Zachry ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Wave Action ◽

Hurricane Ike ◽

Us History ◽

Strong Wave ◽

Coriolis Effects ◽

Catastrophic Damage

Hurricane Ike was one of the most destructive storms in US history, and caused catastrophic damage to the Bolivar Peninsula, Texas, with over 4.7m measured surge at the Gulf of Mexico shoreline. This surge began unusually early, reaching 2.5m at 25 hours before landfall while winds were both weak and shore-parallel. The strong forerunner surge resulted from Coriolis effects on the wind-driven alongshelf current, and occurred previously in the similarly destructive 1900 and 1915 Galveston Hurricanes. In onshore areas with strong wave action, damage was near-total to buildings whose flooring systems could be reached by wave crests, while slightly more elevated buildings survived almost unscathed. There was much less of a correlation between survival and elevation in areas with small waves.

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A Case Study of Nearshore Drag Coefficient Behavior during Hurricane Ike (2008)

Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology ◽

10.1175/jamc-d-12-0321.1 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 52 (9) ◽

pp. 2139-2146 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Brian C. Zachry ◽

John L. Schroeder ◽

Andrew B. Kennedy ◽

Joannes J. Westerink ◽

Chris W. Letchford ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drag Coefficient ◽

Deep Water ◽

Circulation Model ◽

Deep Ocean ◽

Momentum Exchange ◽

Hurricane Ike ◽

Wind Speeds ◽

Wave Conditions ◽

Houston Ship Channel ◽

Limiting Value

AbstractOver the past decade, numerous field campaigns and laboratory experiments have examined air–sea momentum exchange in the deep ocean. These studies have changed the understanding of drag coefficient behavior in hurricane force winds, with a general consensus that a limiting value is reached. Near the shore, wave conditions are markedly different than in deep water because of wave shoaling and breaking processes, but only very limited data exist to assess drag coefficient behavior. Yet, knowledge of the wind stress in this region is critical for storm surge forecasting, evaluating the low-level wind field across the coastal transition zone, and informing the wind load standard along the hurricane-prone coastline. During Hurricane Ike (2008), a Texas Tech University StickNet platform obtained wind measurements in marine exposure with a fetch across the Houston ship channel. These data were used to estimate drag coefficient dependence on wind speed. Wave conditions in the ship channel and surge level at the StickNet location were simulated using the Simulating Waves Nearshore Model coupled to the Advanced Circulation Model. The simulated waves were indicative of a fetch-limited condition with maximum significant wave heights reaching 1.5 m and peak periods of 4 s. A maximum surge depth of 0.6 m inundated the StickNet. Similar to deep water studies, findings indicate that the drag coefficient reaches a limiting value at wind speeds near hurricane force. However, at wind speeds below hurricane force, the drag coefficient is higher than that of deep water datasets, particularly at the slowest wind speeds.

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An Examination of Model Track Forecast Errors for Hurricane Ike (2008) in the Gulf of Mexico

Weather and Forecasting ◽

10.1175/waf-d-10-05053.1 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (6) ◽

pp. 848-867 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Michael J. Brennan ◽

Sharanya J. Majumdar

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Short Wave ◽

Track Forecast ◽

Forecast Errors ◽

Multiple Sources ◽

Hurricane Ike ◽

Initial State ◽

Ensemble Forecasts ◽

Wave Trough ◽

Subtropical Ridge

Abstract Sources of dynamical model track error for Hurricane Ike (2008) in the Gulf of Mexico are examined. Deterministic and ensemble model output are compared against National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) analyses to identify potential critical features associated with the motion of Ike and its eventual landfall along the upper Texas coast. Several potential critical features were identified, including the subtropical ridge north of Ike and several synoptic-scale short-wave troughs and ridges over central and western North America, and Tropical Storm Lowell in the eastern North Pacific. Using the NCEP Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) data assimilation scheme, the operational GSI analysis from the 0000 UTC 9 September 2008 cycle was modified by perturbing each of these features individually, and then integrating the GFS model using the perturbed initial state. The track of Ike from each of the perturbed runs was compared to the operational GFS and it was found that the greatest improvements to the track forecast were associated with weakening the subtropical ridge north of Ike and strengthening a midlevel short-wave trough over California. A GFS run beginning with an analysis where both of these features were perturbed produced a greater track improvement than either did individually. The results suggest that multiple sources of error exist in the initial states of the operational models, and that the correction of these errors in conjunction with reliable ensemble forecasts would lead to improved forecasts of tropical cyclone tracks and their accompanying uncertainty.

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