Storm Surge Propagation and Flooding in Small Tidal Rivers during Events of Mixed Coastal and Fluvial Influence
The highly urbanized estuary of San Francisco Bay is an excellent example of a location susceptible to flooding from both coastal and fluvial influences. As part of developing a forecast model that integrates fluvial and oceanic drivers, a case study of the Napa River and its interactions with the S...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/6/4/158 |
| _version_ | 1818741235925385216 |
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| author | Liv Herdman Li Erikson Patrick Barnard |
| author_facet | Liv Herdman Li Erikson Patrick Barnard |
| author_sort | Liv Herdman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The highly urbanized estuary of San Francisco Bay is an excellent example of a location susceptible to flooding from both coastal and fluvial influences. As part of developing a forecast model that integrates fluvial and oceanic drivers, a case study of the Napa River and its interactions with the San Francisco Bay was performed. For this application we utilize Delft3D-FM, a hydrodynamic model that computes conservation of mass and momentum on a flexible mesh grid, to calculate water levels that account for tidal forcing, storm surge generated by wind and pressure fields, and river flows. We simulated storms with realistic atmospheric pressure, river discharge, and tidal forcing to represent a realistic joint fluvial and coastal storm event. Storm conditions were applied to both a realistic field-scale Napa river drainage as well as an idealized geometry. With these scenarios, we determine how the extent, level, and duration of flooding is dependent on these atmospheric and hydrologic parameters. Unsurprisingly, the model indicates that maximal water levels will occur in a tidal river when high tides, storm surge, and large fluvial discharge events are coincident. Model results also show that large tidal amplitudes diminish storm surge propagation upstream and that phasing between peak fluvial discharges and high tide is important for predicting when and where the highest water levels will occur. The interactions between tides, river discharge, and storm surge are not simple, indicating the need for more integrated flood forecasting models in the future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T01:53:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-82d6dd99d29d4c4e91aee5bb9fd87c17 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T01:53:24Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-82d6dd99d29d4c4e91aee5bb9fd87c172022-12-21T21:24:58ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122018-12-016415810.3390/jmse6040158jmse6040158Storm Surge Propagation and Flooding in Small Tidal Rivers during Events of Mixed Coastal and Fluvial InfluenceLiv Herdman0Li Erikson1Patrick Barnard2Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, United States Geological Survey, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USAPacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, United States Geological Survey, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USAPacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, United States Geological Survey, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USAThe highly urbanized estuary of San Francisco Bay is an excellent example of a location susceptible to flooding from both coastal and fluvial influences. As part of developing a forecast model that integrates fluvial and oceanic drivers, a case study of the Napa River and its interactions with the San Francisco Bay was performed. For this application we utilize Delft3D-FM, a hydrodynamic model that computes conservation of mass and momentum on a flexible mesh grid, to calculate water levels that account for tidal forcing, storm surge generated by wind and pressure fields, and river flows. We simulated storms with realistic atmospheric pressure, river discharge, and tidal forcing to represent a realistic joint fluvial and coastal storm event. Storm conditions were applied to both a realistic field-scale Napa river drainage as well as an idealized geometry. With these scenarios, we determine how the extent, level, and duration of flooding is dependent on these atmospheric and hydrologic parameters. Unsurprisingly, the model indicates that maximal water levels will occur in a tidal river when high tides, storm surge, and large fluvial discharge events are coincident. Model results also show that large tidal amplitudes diminish storm surge propagation upstream and that phasing between peak fluvial discharges and high tide is important for predicting when and where the highest water levels will occur. The interactions between tides, river discharge, and storm surge are not simple, indicating the need for more integrated flood forecasting models in the future.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/6/4/158storm surgecoastal stormfloodingcompound events |
| spellingShingle | Liv Herdman Li Erikson Patrick Barnard Storm Surge Propagation and Flooding in Small Tidal Rivers during Events of Mixed Coastal and Fluvial Influence Journal of Marine Science and Engineering storm surge coastal storm flooding compound events |
| title | Storm Surge Propagation and Flooding in Small Tidal Rivers during Events of Mixed Coastal and Fluvial Influence |
| title_full | Storm Surge Propagation and Flooding in Small Tidal Rivers during Events of Mixed Coastal and Fluvial Influence |
| title_fullStr | Storm Surge Propagation and Flooding in Small Tidal Rivers during Events of Mixed Coastal and Fluvial Influence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Storm Surge Propagation and Flooding in Small Tidal Rivers during Events of Mixed Coastal and Fluvial Influence |
| title_short | Storm Surge Propagation and Flooding in Small Tidal Rivers during Events of Mixed Coastal and Fluvial Influence |
| title_sort | storm surge propagation and flooding in small tidal rivers during events of mixed coastal and fluvial influence |
| topic | storm surge coastal storm flooding compound events |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/6/4/158 |
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