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Synoptic climatology of nuisance flooding along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, USA.
- Source :
- Natural Hazards; 2021, Vol. 105 Issue 2, p1281-1297, 17p
- Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- Nuisance flooding (NF; also known as high-tide, or "sunny day" flooding) is an increasingly prevalent phenomenon afflicting coastal developments worldwide. NF often results when high tides, exacerbated by global sea level rise, coincide with onshore-directed surface winds. The elevated tidal condition, compounded by frictionally forced ocean currents, then inundates coastal infrastructure, posing a non-life-threatening inconvenience for local residents. Even though NF events are formed by a coupling of atmospheric and oceanic conditions, the large-scale atmospheric circulations favorable for NF have received little attention. Using a 40 year NF database derived from coastal gauge data, this study identifies the mid-tropospheric synoptic atmospheric patterns within days of NF events along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the USA. ERA-Interim reanalysis supplies 500 hPa geopotential height patterns over North America that coincide with NF events. Subsequently, a principal components analysis is performed upon all NF-associated 500 hPa patterns, disaggregated by region (New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Gulf Coast), to identify dominant intra-variability NF-related circulations. Consistent with prior work, results show that NF frequency is increasing with time. Further, each region is characterized by a unique set of dominant NF synoptic patterns. Most patterns have clear physical associations to NF mechanisms, such as a nearby 500 hPa trough that would support a surface cyclone and strong onshore surface winds, or a mid-level high-pressure cell that would direct onshore-oriented return flow along its western periphery. However, some patterns correspond less obviously to oft-referenced NF mechanisms and may instead reflect low-frequency modes of variability and/or localized influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- SYNOPTIC climatology
WEATHER
ATMOSPHERIC circulation
GEOPOTENTIAL height
COASTS
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0921030X
- Volume :
- 105
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Natural Hazards
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 148321152
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-020-04354-5