WHAT DRIVES EXTREME EVENTS? EVALUATING THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO TOTAL WATER LEVELS ALONG THE U.S. ATLANTIC COAST

Abstract

The combination of waves, tides, and non-tidal residuals determines the magnitude of total water levels (TWLs) at the coast. As the magnitude of extreme TWLs dictates flooding and erosion potential, understanding the relative contribution of individual processes to these events can provide insights into how changes to the wave climate, sea level, and storminess may affect extreme TWLs now and in the future. Here we evaluate the relative contribution of hydrodynamic processes to extreme TWL events to better understand the spatiotemporal variability of coastal flooding and erosion drivers along the Atlantic coast of the United States (U.S.).