Estimating present day extreme water level exceedance probabilities around the coastline of Australia: tropical cyclone-induced storm surges

The incidence of major storm surges in the last decade have dramatically emphasized the immense destructive capabilities of extreme water level events, particularly when driven by severe tropical cyclones. Given this risk, it is vitally important that the exceedance probabilities of extreme water levels are accurately evaluated to inform risk-based flood and erosion management, engineering and for future land-use planning and to ensure the risk of catastrophic structural failures due to under-design or expensive wastes due to over-design are minimised. Australia has a long history of coastal flooding from tropical cyclones. Using a novel integration of two modeling techniques, this paper provides the first estimates of present day extreme water level exceedance probabilities around the whole coastline of Australia, and the first estimates that combine the influence of astronomical tides, storm surges generated by both extra-tropical and tropical cyclones, and seasonal and inter-annual variations in mean sea level. Initially, an analysis of tide gauge records has been used to assess the characteristics of tropical cyclone-induced surges around Australia. However, given the dearth (temporal and spatial) of information around much of the coastline, and therefore the inability of these gauge records to adequately describe the regional climatology, an observationally based stochastic tropical cyclone model has been developed to synthetically extend the tropical cyclone record to 10,000 years. Wind and pressure fields derived for these synthetically generated events have then been used to drive a hydrodynamic model of the Australian continental shelf region with annual maximum water levels extracted to estimate exceedance probabilities around the coastline. To validate this methodology, selected historic storm surge events have been simulated and resultant storm surges compared with gauge records. Tropical cyclone induced exceedance probabilities have been combined with estimates derived from a 61-year water level hindcast described in a companion paper to give a single estimate of present day extreme water level probabilities around the whole coastline of Australia. Results of this work are freely available to coastal engineers, managers and researchers via a web-based tool (www.sealevelrise.info). The described methodology could be applied to other regions of the world, like the US east coast, that are subject to both extra-tropical and tropical cyclones.     

Interannual variability and predictability of sea level along the Indian Coast

Summary The Indian coast stretching more than 7,500 km constitutes the major portion of the South Asian coastline in the North Indian Ocean region. The South Asian region is significantly influenced by meteorological/oceanographic phenomena like monsoons, El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and tropical cyclones. Direct/indirect impacts of these phenomena, which exhibit large interannual variabilities, on sea level changes in this region are considerable. Our results show that the mean sea level along the eastern coast of India, which is highly vulnerable to the incidence of severe tropical cyclones, is considerably higher than normal during the intense cyclonic period of a year falling in the positive phase of the Southern Oscillation (La Ni?a epoch), thereby enhancing the hazardous potential of tropical cyclones. Further, in the closing phase of the La Ni?a southwest monsoon, higher sea level anomalies prevail along the Indian coast raising the flooding potential of such monsoons. Over the west coast of India significant simultaneous correlations have been found between the amount of southwest monsoon rainfall and the mean sea level during the period from June to September. Over the east coast of India at Visakhapatnam, mean sea level is predictable with a fair degree of confidence one month in advance, by using the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) as predictors. These results will be useful in the annual preparedness programmes aimed at mitigating the impacts of natural disasters like tropical cyclones and floods in the South Asian region. Received November 9, 2001     

Statistical Modeling and Trend Detection of Extreme Sea Level Records in the Pearl River Estuary

Sea level rise has become an important issue in global climate change studies. This study investigates trends in sea level records, particularly extreme records, in the Pearl River Estuary, using measurements from two tide gauge stations in Macau and Hong Kong. Extremes in the original sea level records(daily higher high water heights) and in tidal residuals with and without the 18.6-year nodal modulation are investigated separately. Thresholds for defining extreme sea levels are calibrated based on extreme value theory. Extreme events are then modeled by peaks-over-threshold models. The model applied to extremes in original sea level records does not include modeling of their durations, while a geometric distribution is added to model the duration of extremes in tidal residuals. Realistic modeling results are recommended in all stationary models. Parametric trends of extreme sea level records are then introduced to nonstationary models through a generalized linear model framework. The result shows that, in recent decades, since the 1960 s, no significant trends can be found in any type of extreme at any station, which may be related to a reduction in the influence of tropical cyclones in the region. For the longer-term record since the 1920 s at Macau, a regime shift of tidal amplitudes around the 1970 s may partially explain the diverse trend of extremes in original sea level records and tidal residuals.     

The global value of coastal wetlands for storm protection

Coastal wetlands provide a range of valuable ecosystem services, including protecting coastal communities from storms. We estimated for the first time the global value of these storm protection services for all coastal wetlands for both damages avoided and lives saved. We used the historical tracks of 1,014 tropical cyclones since 1902 that recorded property damage and/or human casualties in 71 countries/regions. We used Bayesian and OLS statistical techniques to relate storm damages and lives lost to: wind speed, storm forward speed, the year of the storm, the volume of ocean water proximal to landfall, and GDP, population, and coastal wetlands in the swath of the storm. Based on current storm probabilities, we estimate the median annual global value of coastal wetlands for storm protection at $447 billion/yr (2015$US) ($213 - $837 billion/yr, 90% CI) and 4,620 lives saved per year (3,320 – 6,550, 90% CI). The 40 million hectares of coastal wetlands in storm prone areas provided an average of $11,000/ha/yr in avoided storm damages. The frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones has been increasing in recent decades and is projected to further increase with climate change. Consequently, the already significant benefits from protecting and restoring coastal wetlands will become increasingly important and valuable in the future. These results justify much larger investments in conservation and restoration of coastal wetlands.     

渤海西岸致灾风暴潮的统计预报模型

渤海西岸是风暴潮灾害多发区,1990年代以后发生几率和灾害损失明显增加。利用气象科学和海洋水文科学相结合的方法,依据黄骅港潮汐资料,对发生在渤海西岸的风暴潮进行统计分析。结果表明,台风和强冷空气配合气旋是造成渤海西岸风暴潮的主要天气系统,偏东大风增水和天文潮叠加是造成风暴潮的直接因素;风暴潮和天文潮汐都有半日潮现象。在此基础上,建立了渤海西岸风暴潮预报模型,通过台风或冷空气配合气旋影响时增水值的计算,结合天文潮汐资料,做出最高潮位预报。应用该预报方法对渤海西岸发生的7次风暴潮进行回报,预报值与实测值基本相当,是基层台站较实用的预报方法。     

A numerical modelling study of coastal flooding

Summary A coastal ocean model capable of modelling tides, storm surge and the overland flow of floodwaters has been further developed to include the flux of water from tributaries and the forcing from wave breaking that leads to wave setup in the nearshore zone. The model is set up over the Gold Coast Broadwater on the east coast of Australia. This complex region features a coastal lagoon into which five tributaries flow and is subject to flooding from extreme oceanic conditions such as storm surge and wave setup as well as terrestrial runoff. Weather conditions responsible for storm surge, waves and flooding include cyclones of both tropical and mid-latitude origin. Two events are modelled. The first is an east coast low event that occurred in April 1989. This event verified well against available observations and analysis of the model simulations revealed that wave setup produced a greater contribution to the elevated water levels than the storm surge. The second case to be modelled was tropical cyclone Wanda, responsible for the 1974 floods. Modelled water levels in the Broadwater were reasonably well captured. Sensitivity experiments showed that storm surge and wave setup were only minor contributors to the elevated sea levels and their contribution was confined to the earlier stage of the event before the runoff reached its peak. The contribution due solely to runoff exhibited a tidal-like oscillation that was 180° out-of-phase with the tide and this was attributed to the greater hydraulic resistance that occurs at high tide. A simulation of this event with present day bathymetry at the Seaway produced sea levels that were 0.3–0.4 m lower than the simulation with 1974 bathymetry highlighting the effectiveness of deepened Seaway channel to reduce the impact of severe runoff events in the Broadwater. Received October 16, 2001 Revised December 28, 2001     

Recently increased tropical cyclone activity and inferences concerning coastal erosion and inland hydrological regimes in New Zealand and Eastern Australia

For the area bounded by 0–35 °S latitude and 105 °E–105 °W longitude a significant increase of tropical cyclone frequency occurred about 1954–55 and this regime persisted throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Probably this frequency increase was accompanied by an increase of cyclonic storm intensity. It was related to an atmospheric pressure regime change over Australasia which commenced in early 1954. Tropical cyclones produce large rainfall amounts and strong winds which generate high-energy sea waves. Severe damage can result on land and at sea. However, much recently recorded damage has resulted from extra-tropical cyclones. Therefore it is postulated that extra-tropical cyclones also increased in frequency after the mid 1950s and that both types of cyclone contributed to a significant increase in total storminess. In eastern Australia and around both islands of New Zealand a major coastal regime change occurred in the 1950s and has persisted to the present;erosion has been the dominant process. In eastern Australia there was a significant increase in the magnitude of river floods after the late 1940s. After the mid 1950s most of the North Island of New Zealand experienced the wettest years of this century which caused large closed lakes to reach the highest levels for several centuries. Throughout the North Island the majority of the greatest recorded stream floods of this century have occurred during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. And in forested mountain areas of the North Island the average rate of erosion and alluvial sedimentation increased markedly after the mid 1950s. The regime change of each natural phenomenon is explicable in terms of increased storminess since the mid 1950s. Consequently it is hypothesised that the coastal and inland environmental regime changes discussed were either initiated or accentuated after the mid 1950s as a result of increased activity of both tropical and extra-tropical cyclones. Some further studies, necessary to test the links in the overall hypothesis, are mentioned.     

Contribution of south China Sea tropical cyclones to an increase in southern China summer rainfall around 1993

The increase in southern China summer rainfall around 1993 was accompanied by an increase in tropical cyclones that formed in the South China Sea. This study documents the connection of these two features. Our analysis shows that the contribution of tropical cyclones that formed in the South China Sea to southern China summer rainfall experienced a significant increase around 1993, in particular, along the coast and in the heavy rain category. The number of tropical cyclones that formed in the western North Pacific and entered the South China Sea decreased, and their contribution to summer rainfall was reduced in eastern part of southern China (but statistically insignificant). The increase in tropical cyclone-induced rainfall contributed up to ～30% of the total rainfall increase along the coastal regions. The increase of tropical cyclones in the South China Sea appears to be related to an increase in local sea surface temperature.     

浙江省热带气旋倒槽暴雨气候特征研究

基于近40年热带气旋（Tropical Cyclone,简称TC）日降水和最佳路径等观测资料,采用数理统计、天气学分析等方法对浙江省TC倒槽暴雨分布特征及其与TC的相互关系进行研究。（1）浙江省年均会发生1.8次TC倒槽暴雨,占TC暴雨总数约4成,是浙江省台风暴雨中的一种重要形式。每年8—9月是TC倒槽暴雨高发期,暴雨主要发生在宁波南部至温州一带沿海地区,暴雨中心多位于台州和温州沿海。（2）引发浙江省TC倒槽暴雨的热带气旋多在粤东至浙南登陆之后北上转向或西北行,登陆当天最易发生暴雨且雨强最强。暴雨发生时,福建中部沿海经海峡至台湾东北部一带是TC高频活动区。（3）距TC中心2.5~5.0纬距之间和TC东北偏北象限是倒槽暴雨中心的高频落区;较强暴雨发生在TC强度为热带低压时,且强中心易位于TC东北偏东象限,极端强降水发生主要与热带低压和副高等相互作用形成的偏东暖湿急流、TC倒槽强辐合和TC东北偏东象限中尺度深对流系统频繁活动有关。      

海平面加速上升对低海拔岛屿、沿海地区及社会的影响和风险

IPCC《气候变化中的海洋和冰冻圈特别报告》评估了气候变化对全球、区域海平面变化和极端海面（极值水位）升高的贡献,以及海平面上升对低海拔（小鱼10 m）岛屿、沿海地区和社会的影响及相关的风险。评估表明,全球变暖背景下,全球平均海平面上升的证据是确凿的,且明显加速（高信度),极端海面高度升高,主要是由陆地冰川和冰盖融化以及海洋热膨胀引起,且前者的贡献已大于后者（很高信度);与此同时,海洋变暖速率倍增,强热带气旋、风暴潮增多,极值水位重现期缩短;至21世纪末,全球海平面还将上升约0.43 m（温室气体低排放情景,RCP2.6）和0.84 m（高排放情景,RCP8.5）（中等信度）,很多沿海地区当前较少发生的百年一遇的极值水位将变为一年一遇或更频繁,而对于许多沿海低洼地而言,类似事件甚至在21世纪中叶就可能发生（高信度)。评估还表明,持续上升的海平面、趋于频发的极值水位,以及人为地面沉降等因素,增加了沿海社会-生态系统的暴露度和脆弱性;并且,与海平面上升有关的危害（险）性事件,如海岸侵蚀、洪灾、盐碱化和生境退化等将显著增加（高信度)。报告指出,如未采取充分的适应海平面上升的措施,在RCP8.5情景下,沿海大城市、城市环礁群岛、热带农业三角洲地区和北极沿岸社区将处于高或很高的灾害风险中（高信度)。     

Synoptic aspects of the catastrophic flood formation in the northeast of Australia during extreme La Niña 2010–2011

A synoptic mechanism of the formation of atmospheric circulation anomalies over the tropics of the Indian and Pacific oceans observed during the La Niña 2010–2011 culmination is considered using the daily data of the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis. It was established that the most destructive flood during the whole modern history of Australia was caused by the unprecedented activity of the tropical cyclogenesis in the circulation system of the Australian summer monsoon. The tropical cyclones affected in turn the monsoon regions of Australia both from the Indian Ocean through the system of the equatorial zone of westerlies and from the Pacific Ocean through the system of the eastern trade wind. The Pacific trade wind during the Australian flood was maximally developed and the South Pacific high was shifted considerably from the coast of Peru and Chile to the center of the ocean. It is demonstrated that the maximum values of negative SST anomalies were observed not in the east of the Pacific Ocean as in the case of the “canonical” La Niña but they were shifted significantly to the west to the line of the date change. All this enables to refer the extreme La Niña 2010–2011 to La Niña of Modoki type.     

基于引潮力的西北太平洋热带气旋特征研究

利用中国气象局提供的西北太平洋台风最佳路径数据集、欧洲中期天气预报中心（ECMWF）的ERA5再分析资料、美国国家航空航天局（NASA）的HORIZONS系统天文资料,采用统计学方法,分析了1949—2019年西北太平洋生成的热带气旋路径上各节点所受引潮力,并诊断引潮力与大气环流之间的关系。结果表明：1）向上垂直引潮力越大,热带气旋生成数越多、增强速度越快,同时向西移速增大。水平引潮力方位角与热带气旋前进方向接近时,垂直引潮力增强的效果更明显。2）在西北太平洋热带气旋活跃期（7—10月）,向上的垂直引潮力有利于大气的上升运动,导致对流层中层（高层）辐合（辐散）,形成有利于热带气旋发展的环流配置结构。     

登陆热带气旋研究的进展

随着大气探测技术的发展 ,登陆热带气旋研究已经成为热带气旋研究中一个新的领域。新的探测技术能初步揭示出热带气旋登陆过程中发生的多种改变。近年来 ,国内外科学家实施了一系列外场科学试验 (Fieldscientificexperi ments) ,对登陆热带气旋进行探测和研究 ,旨在提高预报的准确率。登陆热带气旋研究内容包括 :海岸和内陆山脉地形影响 ,结构和强度变化 ,登陆热带气旋的暴雨强度和分布 ,大风强度和分布 ,风暴潮强度和范围 ,登陆热带气旋在陆上的维持机制 ,陆地涡旋的路径和入海加强 ,边界层结构 ,陆面过程和能量交换 ,变性过程等。研究采用外场科学试验与数值模拟相结合的方法。模拟或预报模式中使用同化资料尤其是卫星同化资料来构造初值场 ,取得较好结果。登陆热带气旋的研究目前正在展开 ,并取得了一些重要结果。研究表明 ,潜热释放和斜压位能释放是近海或登陆热带气旋加强或维持的两种主要能源。这两种能量可分别从水汽输送和热带气旋与中纬度环流的相互作用中获得。另外 ,陆面饱和湿地或水面的潜热输送、热带气旋与中尺度涡旋或热带云团的合并以及高空流出气流强辐散也对其加强和维持有利。世界气象组织的热带气象研究计划 (TMRP)正在组织对这一领域的总结和下一步的研究计划。这项研究将对预报和     

Wave Climate in the Caspian Sea Based on Wave Hindcast

The results of wind wave hindcast for the Caspian Sea for the period of 1979–2017 are presented. The WAVEWATCHIII wave model and wind forcing from the NCEP/CFSR reanalysis are used. The modeling is performed on the unstructured grid with the spacing to 1 km in the coastal zone. Mean and extreme values of wave height, length, and period are provided. It is shown that the maximum height of waves of 3% probability of exceedance is 11.7 m. The interannual variability of wave parameters is analyzed. No unambiguous trend towards increase or decrease in the storm activity was revealed over the hindcasting period.     

沿海风工程设计风速中泊松-耿贝尔法的应用

每年西北太平洋热带气旋(TC)发生的次数、移动路径和强度都是随机的,我国东南沿海各地每年受TC影响的次数便构成了某种离散型分布,而TC影响下的最大风速则可以构成某种连续型分布。该文采用上海台风研究所提供的1961—2006年TC中心风速和TC影响期间各台站大风资料,利用泊松-耿贝尔联合极值风速计算方法,计算了沿海各气象站TC影响大风的多年一遇风工程设计最大风速。结果表明:当观测资料样本序列较短,特别是像TC这样随机性很强的天气事件,泊松-耿贝尔联合极值算法更具优势;我国沿海地区有53.9%的台站50年一遇最大风速在25 m/s以下,最大风速大于42.5 m/s以上的台站分布于浙江的大陈岛、嵊山、石浦,福建的北茭和台山,广东的遮浪、上川岛和海南的西沙岛,在这些地区进行风电开发风险较大,应引起足够重视。     

我国沿海主要省份热带气旋风雨因子危险性分析Ⅱ:年代际变化特征

利用热带气旋最佳路径资料和气象台站观测资料,以及风雨因子危险性模型,分别计算我国沿海主要省份热带气旋风因子危险性、雨因子危险性及总危险性,并对其年代际变化特征进行分析。结果表明:沿海主要省份热带气旋致灾因子危险性随着年代逐渐增大,风因子危险性呈逐年代减弱,而降水因子危险性则逐年代增加;与1970年代相比,热带气旋在2000年代更易带来强降水,但极端风速出现的概率减小,热带气旋活动频数偏少,热带气旋的平均强度略偏强且持续时间偏长;与1970年代相比,2000年代的热带气旋气旋性环流更强烈,其附近低层西南风异常伴随有异常的来自西南向的水汽输送,并产生西南-东北走向的异常水汽辐合带,在异常强烈的垂直运动作用下,更多的水汽将带入高层,有利于降水产生。      

近30年影响我国东南沿海的热带气旋降水强度变化特征分析

利用中国地面台站逐日降水资料和中国气象局上海台风研究所整编的热带气旋最佳路径资料研究了1978～2007年影响我国热带气旋降水强度的变化及其对我国东南沿海盛夏降水变化的影响.近30年影响我国东南沿海盛夏的热带气旋降水增加是导致我国东南沿海盛夏降水显著增加的主要原因.仅从热带气旋降水来看,东南沿海和内陆(包括江西、湖南东部和湖北南部)热带气旋降水强度显著增加,而影响热带气旋降水频次略有增加.通过对雨量站与引起降水热带气旋的中心距离的变化分析发现:内陆地区影响热带气旋距离显著下降,近距离热带气旋引起降水的增加,是该区域热带气旋降水强度增加的主要来源;而东南沿海地区近距离热带气旋降水增加不明显,热带气旋降水强度的增加主要由于同距离热带气旋降水强度的增加.热带气旋经过频次的空间的变化结果证实,近30年经过中国沿海的TC个数变化不大,仅福建沿海一带略有增加,而内陆地区则增加明显,且经过该区域时热带气旋移动速度变慢,这均与该区域近距离热带气旋降水的增加一致.     

Global warming and hurricanes: the potential impact of hurricane intensification and sea level rise on coastal flooding

Tens of millions of people around the world are already exposed to coastal flooding from tropical cyclones. Global warming has the potential to increase hurricane flooding, both by hurricane intensification and by sea level rise. In this paper, the impact of hurricane intensification and sea level rise are evaluated using hydrodynamic surge models and by considering the future climate projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. For the Corpus Christi, Texas, United States study region, mean projections indicate hurricane flood elevation (meteorologically generated storm surge plus sea level rise) will, on average, rise by 0.3 m by the 2030s and by 0.8 m by the 2080s. For catastrophic-type hurricane surge events, flood elevations are projected to rise by as much as 0.5 m and 1.8 m by the 2030s and 2080s, respectively.     

NUMERICAL EXPERIMENTS ON THE IMPACTS OF SEA SPRAY ON TROPICAL CYCLONES

The latest version of sea spray flux parameterization scheme developed by Andreas is coupled with the PSU/NCAR model MM5 in this paper. A western Pacific tropical cyclone named Nabi in 2005 is simulated using this coupled air-sea spray modeling system to study the impacts of sea spray evaporation on the evolution of tropical cyclones. The results demonstrate that sea spray can lead to a significant increase of heat fluxes in the air-sea interface, especially the latent heat flux, the maximum of which can increase by up to about 35% - 80% The latent heat flux seems to be more important than the sensible heat flux for the evolution of tropical cyclones. Regardless of whether sea spray fluxes have been considered, the model can always simulate the track of Nabi well, which seems to indicate that sea spray has little impact on the movement of tropical cyclones. However, with sea spray fluxes taken into account in the model, the intensity of a simulated tropical cyclone can have significant increase. Due to the enhancement of water vapor and heat from the sea surface to the air caused by sea spray, the warm core structure is better-defined, the minimum sea level pressure decreases and the vertical speed is stronger around the eye in the experiments, which is propitious to the development and evolution of tropical cyclones.     

风云气象卫星“一带一路”热带气旋监测能力与最新进展

面向风云卫星服务“一带一路”倡议,我国风云气象卫星在轨运行的静止和极轨两个系列6颗卫星,已经联合组成了服务“一带一路”星座布局,建立了风云卫星应急减灾数据服务机制。本文对利用FY-2H、FY-4A和FY-3C/D开展的“一带一路”热带气旋监测方法以及最新进展进行了概述,列举了2018年和2019年影响力较大的连续致灾热带气旋、跨海域热带气旋,以及双/三/四个热带气旋共存的典型个例。结果显示在基于风云卫星开展的“一带一路”热带气旋监测业务中,将热带气旋发生演变的原理与气象卫星不同仪器观测原理相结合,在热带气旋生命史不同阶段根据所关注的不同侧重点,分别对应应用风云气象卫星不同观测仪器,对于热带气旋全生命史监测预报有重要意义。