Storm Surge Dynamics over Wide Continental Shelves

This is a compilation of the author’s research while working on a Ph.D. in Oceanography at the Louisiana State University. It also includes an Introduction summarizing the scientific literature on storm surge modeling. A systematic investigation of storm surge impact to the coasts of Louisiana and Texas, where the continental shelf reaches up to 200 km in width, is conducted using the hydrodynamics Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model. The model is applied to the northern Gulf of Mexico to simulate the storm surges caused by Hurricanes Rita (2005) and Ike (2008). Idealized scenarios are also simulated to gain insight into specific surge mechanisms. This book focuses on: 1) The roles of shelf geometry and tides in a hurricane surge and the nonlinear interaction between tide and surge; 2) The receding flow of Hurricane Rita’s surge and the different dynamics during flooding and return flow; 3) The effect of the often overlooked forward speed of a hurricane, which has a significant impact on surge; and 4) The importance of Galveston Bay’s barrier islands on the propagation of Ike’s surge into and within the bay.