Multi-Scale Storm Surge Prediction for High-resolution Forecasts and Climate Scenarios
Abstract: Coastal hazards related to strong storms are one of the most frequently recurring and widespread hazards to coastal communities today. In particular, storm surge, the rise of the sea surface in response to wind and pressure forcing from these storms, can have a devastating effect on the coastline. Furthermore, with the addition of climate change related effects, the ability to predict these events quickly and accurately is critical to the protection and sustainability of these coastal areas.
Computational approaches to this problem must be able to handle its multiscale nature while remaining computationally tractable and physically relevant. This has commonly been accomplished by solving a depth-averaged set of fluid equations and by employing non-uniform and unstructured grids. These approaches, however, have often had shortcomings due to computational expense, the need for involved model tuning, and missing physics.
In this presentation, I will outline some of the approaches I have pursued to address several of these shortcomings through the use of computational techniques and more complex physical representations of storm surge and more recently precipitation. I will also cover how these techniques have led to novel solutions to long-standing issues in coastal flooding more generally.