A two-dimensional numerical sea model

Abstract

The model has, in the first place, been developed for the detailed investigation of various types of North Sea storm surge, particularly the external surge. As in some earlier investigations the linearized hydrodynamical equations are solved numerically by using a finite-difference grid and a step-by-step procedure in time. However, a special feature of the present approach is that, within the basic grid system, it is possible to choose a general form of sea boundary: the computations are then carried out accordingly, on a digital computer, using an Algol program . In this sense the aim has been to develop a numerical tool of fairly wide application for the study of surge and tidal phenomena in adjacent seas. For the North Sea, surges experienced at several ports around the shores of the Sea have been compared with those derived numerically. Also, contour lines of sea-level disturbance have been drawn showing patterns of surge development. Perhaps for the first time, the continental shelf sea surrounding the British Isles has been treated as a single dynamical unit, and the influence of flow through the Strait of Dover on surge levels in the North Sea has been studied. The work has laid out guide lines for future research involving the application of numerical models to problems of storm surges and tides in British waters. A first step has been taken towards the establishment of a surge forecasting system for the east coast o f England based on dynamical principles.