Computational investigation of typhoon-induced storm surge in Hangzhou Bay, China

Abstract

The Hangzhou Bay faces frequent threats from typhoon-induced storm surge and has attracted considerable attentions of coastal researchers and environmental workers. A three-dimensional storm surge model system based on Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) and analytical cyclone model is applied to investigate the hydrodynamic response in the Hangzhou Bay to tropical typhoon. This model has been used to reproduce the storm surge generated by Typhoon Agnes (No. 8114) and the simulated wind field and water elevations have been compared with the available field observations. A series of numerical experimental cases have been conducted to study the effects of land reclamation project (shoreline relocation and seabed deformation) and cyclonic parameters (minimal central pressure (MCP), radius to maximal wind (RMW) and translation speed (TS)) on the hydrodynamics in the Hangzhou Bay. The results show that the shoreline relocation and seabed deformation could generate much higher storm surge in the vicinity of reclamation project with the shoreline relocation making main contribution (about 70%) to this increase. It is found that among the cyclonic parameters, RMW is the most important factor affecting the peak surge in the Hangzhou Bay.