Computer-simulated current responses to cyclones on the North West Shelf of Australia

Abstract

In this paper, some of the sensitivity test results obtained from the three-dimensional numerical model developed by Zhu and Imberger [1] for the cyclone-generated currents on the North West Shelf (NWS) of Australia are presented. Through these tests, the applicable range of the model to various physical parameters and boundary conditions has been shown. Most importantly, using these results, some phenomena observed in a number of field observations conducted on the shelf some years ago can now be quantitatively explained and discussed.