October 27, 2023 1 min read

Coastal Surge Modeling: Coupling ADCIRC with Wave Action Predictions

Integrating astronomical tides, hurricane central pressure deficits, and bathymetric dissipation for accurate coastal flood defenses.

The Physics of Storm Surge Inundation

Coastal surge results from the interaction of atmospheric barometric pressure drops, sustained onshore winds, and shallow bathymetric shelving.

1. Coupled Hydrodynamic and Wave Physics

The Advanced Circulation (ADCIRC) model coupled with Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN) accurately models wave setup—the increase in mean water level due to the breaking of wind-driven waves along shorelines.

2. Boundary Condition Inputs

Atmospheric forcing requires precise Holland wind field formulations and NOAA water level station calibration. Even minor shifts in landfall angle create dramatic non-linear variations in peak surge height.

3. Designing Hardened Defense Infrastructure

Model outputs guide crest elevation specifications for seawalls, revetments, and living shoreline wetlands to protect critical coastal assets.

💬 Discussion 1

Guest

Julian Brooks Oct 28, 2023 (collapsed)

the documentation makes Coastal Surge Modeling: Coupling ADCIRC with Wave Action Predictions look so effortless, but my terminal managed to spit out two errors that do not even exist on Stack Overflow yet (haha). Anyone else get an unexpected baptism by fire when first setting this up?

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