Computational investigation of typhoon-induced storm surges along the coast of Taiwan

In this study, a numerical model of tide surge was developed and applied to the coast of Taiwan and the adjacent sea area. This two-dimensional model has a fine horizontal resolution and takes into account the interaction between storm surges and astronomical tides, which is suitable for describing the complicated physical properties of storm surges along the coast of Taiwan. The model is driven by the tidal elevation at the open boundaries using a global ocean tidal model and is forced by the meteorological conditions using a cyclone model. The numerical model was calibrated and verified against the observed tide and surge tide for five typhoon events. The results indicate reasonable agreement between the model simulations and the observed data. The model was then used to study the effects of both different typhoon paths and the intensity of the wind stress and pressure at the typhoon center on the surge height. The regression equations for the surge height and pressure difference were also established for predicting the surge height along the coast of Taiwan. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012