Simulations of Storm Surges in the Bay of Bengal

Abstract

Bangladesh is situated at the northern tip of the funneling Bay of Bengal. The long continental shelf, shallow bathymetry, and complex coastal geometry with many kinks and islands with the overall funneling shape of the Bay of Bengal are well-known features of the highest storm surge of the longest duration. IIT Kharagpur Model (2002) for storm surge is used for numerical simulation of storm surges near Orissa, West Bengal, and Bangladesh coasts. High resolution (Δx = 3.7 km, Δy = 3.5 km, Δt = 60 sec) IIT Model (Domain: 18–23° N, 83.5–94.5° E) has been used for the simulation. Three or six hourly positional data of several severe storms that hit Orissa, West Bengal, and Bangladesh coasts have been used for making gradual changes in the storm surge scenario. A Generic Mapping Tool (GMT) has been employed with a view to imaging surges. Visualization is made with MS PowerPoint. 3D view of the peak surges during landfall has also been made by incorporating geo-referenced peak surge data into WinSurfer. The results obtained from the model are in good agreement with the reported data.