Storm Of August Research Articles

Analysis of climate change and climate variability impacts on coastal storms induced by extratropical cyclones: a case study of the August 2015 storm in central Chile

ABSTRACT The projected increase in coastal risk requires a reevaluation of coastal risk reduction strategies. A multi-model approach is proposed to examine the variability of coastal storms influenced by climate change and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). To this end, the historic coastal storm of August 8 2015, resulting from a local extratropical cyclone (ETC) off the central Chilean coast, was analyzed through the coupling of the WRF atmospheric model, Delft3D FM (D-FLOW and D-WAVE modules), and EOT20 astronomical tide model. The results show that the characteristics of local ETCs are susceptible to regional temperature gradients associated with climate change and ENSO. The coastal storm of August 8 2015, presented a decrease in wave height and counterclockwise rotation of wave direction along the Chilean coast under the climate change scenario. Meanwhile, the ENSO scenarios under cold conditions generated a ETC track’s displacement toward the north, causing both an increase in wave height along the coast of the Antofagasta and Atacama regions and a decrease in wave height in the Valparaíso, O’Higgins, and Maule regions. Findings from this study emphasize the importance of considering dynamic design for coastal structures rather than traditional methods to adapt to changing storm patterns.

Digitized Continuous Magnetic Recordings for the August/September 1859 Storms From London, UK

AbstractDedicated scientific measurements of the strength and direction of the Earth's magnetic field began at Greenwich and Kew observatories in London, United Kingdom, in the middle of the nineteenth century. Using advanced techniques for the time, collimated light was focussed onto mirrors mounted on free‐swinging magnetized needles which reflected onto photographic paper, allowing continuous analog magnetograms to be recorded. By good fortune, both observatories were in full operation during the so‐called Carrington storm in early September 1859 and its precursor storm in late August 1859. Based on digital images of the magnetograms and information from the observatory yearbooks and scientific papers, it is possible to scale the measurements to International System of Units (SI units) and extract quasi‐minute cadence spot values. However, due to the magnitude of the storms, the periods of the greatest magnetic field variation were lost as the traces moved off‐page. We present the most complete digitized magnetic records to date of the 10‐day period from 25 August to 5 September 1859 encompassing the Carrington storm and its lesser recognized precursor on 28 August. We demonstrate the good correlation between observatories and estimate the instantaneous rate of change of the magnetic field.

Study of the ionospheric responses over African and Asian longitudes to the intense geomagnetic storm of August 2018

Study of the ionospheric responses over African and Asian longitudes to the intense geomagnetic storm of August 2018

Regional ionospheric TEC modeling during geomagnetic storm in August 2021- data fusion using multi-instrument observations

Regional ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) models are most significant to investigate the variability of ionosphere during all-weather conditions. Since the ground-based TEC measurements are not available in oceanic and polar regions, space-based observations are incorporated to increase the positional accuracy and reliability of Global Ionospheric TEC Maps (GIMs). Therefore, data fusion techniques are necessary to enhance the prediction capability of regional ionospheric models by considering multi-source data. In view of this, an attempt is made to investigate Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) structures in low-latitudinal Indian region using multi-instrument data. Data observations from background model CODEGIM, available International GNSS Service (IGS) stations in India, GNSS receivers at KLEF and Tripura stations, FORMOSAT/COSMIC radio occultation and SWARM during geomagnetic storm period August 26–28, 2021 are used for the study. Spherical Harmonics Function (SHF) of order 4 is employed along with Weighted Least Squares analysis (WLS), where separate weight constraint is computed for each data source. TEC maps of spatial resolution 5° x 5° and temporal resolution of 1 h are generated to illustrate the dynamic behavior of ionosphere. The standard deviation for 3 days is obtained as 0.42, 0.61 and 1.43 TECU respectively. TEC depletions and enhancements are observed on August 27 and 28, with mean values of 12.74 and 15.27 TECU respectively, demonstrating negative and positive storm effects.

대기의 강(Atmospheric River)이 남한의 스톰과 강수 특성에 미치는 영향

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) that are characterized by an elongated plume of intense vertically-integrated water-vapor transport (IVT) in the atmosphere, are critical in the occurrence of heavy precipitation and hydrologic extremes, especially in the mid-latitudes, in addition to the poleward water-vapor transport. Although ARs affect regional hydrology and can lead to natural disasters, few studies have examined the relationship between ARs and continuous precipitation events like storms. This study analyzes the climatology of AR-related precipitation in South Korea (SK) on the basis of storm events. In SK, AR storms undergo a well-defined annual cycle with a peak in July and outnumber non-AR storms in all months. AR (non-AR) storm duration exhibits an annual cycle with the peak in August (no systematic annual cycle). AR storms are related to larger (smaller) IVT over East Asian coastal regions (western North Pacific) compared to non-AR storms. The IVT difference appears to lead to precipitation differences such that AR storms dominate non-AR storms in monthly and annual-total precipitation, especially in summer. The effects of AR storms on monthly storm-total and storm-mean precipitation are strongest in the central (July) and southern (August) parts of SK and decrease gradually towards the north. Seasonal variations in the occurrence and intensity of AR storms and associated daily precipitation in SK are characterized by a small number of heavy-precipitating AR storms in June and September and a large number of heavy-precipitating AR storms in July and August.

Snow drought and monsoon floods—hydrological extremes in the Cedar Valley watershed during water year 2021, southwestern Utah

Water year 2021 was a year of extremes in the Cedar Valley watershed of southern Utah, with snow drought resulting in extremely low snowmelt runoff of Coal Creek and intense monsoon rainfall resulting in several floods in different parts of the valley. Winter snow accumulation was depressed throughout southern Utah, perhaps due to La Nina conditions affecting winter storm trajectories. Coal Creek, the principal stream providing surface water to Cedar Valley, typically receives most of its annual flow from snowmelt runoff, but in 2021 had a peak snowmelt discharge 15% to 25% of that recorded in the previous two years and the third lowest snowmelt runoff on record. Following this extremely low snowmelt runoff period, more than 10 floods of Coal Creek occurred following monsoon storms in July and August that exceeded the 2021 snowmelt peak. Additionally, several thunderstorms produced rainfall rates in exceedance of the 100-year event and induced flooding within Cedar City and the town of Enoch. Flood inundation modeling using HEC-RAS and high-resolution topographic data showed good agreement with field and pubic-survey data on the high-water stage during the Enoch flooding, and demonstrated that the flooding was likely exacerbated by the low topography and limited drainage potential in flooded areas. Whereas the monsoon storms improved soil moisture and helped alleviate drought conditions, they also resulted in urban flooding and did little to replenish the regional water supply.

Analysis of the reasons for the departure of a part of the Serb minority from Croatia during Operation Storm in August 1995

Objective: To investigate the reasons behind the departure of a part of the Serb minority from temporarily occupied areas of the Republic of Croatia, mostly during Operation Storm, and to determine if the departure was instigated by the Croatian police and military forces in August 1995. Methods: We used sources of Serbian, Croatian, and inter-national provenance. Besides publicly available sources, we accessed official documents of the Republic of Serb Krajina (RSK), Serbian and Montenegrin media articles, the pub-lished assessments of Serbian politicians, and the testimo-nies of refugee Serbs that are principally archived at the Croatian Memorial-Documentation Center of the Homeland War, Zagreb, Croatia. Findings: We found evidence that the departure of a part of the Serb minority, which occurred mostly during Operation Storm, was voluntary. Among other sources, we present the RSK administration’s two official and explicit orders for the Serb minority to leave the occupied Croatian ter-ritory, which resulted in their departure to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and Serbia. The accusations that the al-leged brutalities and crimes conducted by Croatian forces and authorities caused the evacuation proved to be inflated and unrelated to the military operation. Conclusion: The departure of a part of the Serb minority from the temporarily occupied territory of the Republic of Croatia, which occurred mostly during Operation Storm in August 1995, was not in response to any actions or threats by Croatia, but was pre-planned by the Serb political and military leadership and was accepted mostly voluntarily by the RSK populatio

Accelerated Sea Ice Loss from Late Summer Cyclones in the New Arctic

Abstract Synoptic-scale cyclones in the Arctic are an important source of short-term sea ice variability during the melt season. This study examines whether recent changes to the Arctic environment have made Arctic cyclones during the summer months more destructive to sea ice on short time scales. We compare the 1–7-day changes in sea ice area and thickness following days in each month with and without cyclones from two decades: 1991–2000 and 2009–18. Only in August do cyclones locally accelerate seasonal sea ice loss on average, and the ability of August cyclones to accelerate ice loss has become more pronounced in the recent decade. The recent increase in ice loss following August cyclones is most evident in the Amerasian Arctic (140°E–120°W), where reanalyses indicate that the average upper-ocean temperature has increased by 0.2°–0.8°C and the average ice thickness has decreased by almost 1 m between the two decades. Such changes promote cyclone-induced ocean mixing and sea ice divergence that locally increase the likelihood for rapid ice loss near cyclones. In contrast, June cyclones in both decades locally slow down seasonal sea ice loss. Moreover, the 7-day sea ice loss in June has increased from the early to the recent decade by 67% more in the absence of cyclones than in the presence of cyclones. The largest increases in June ice loss occur in the Eurasian Arctic (0°–140°E), where substantial reductions in average surface albedo in the recent decade have allowed more of the abundant insolation in the absence of cyclones to be absorbed at the sea surface. Significance Statement This study determines whether Arctic storms during summer have become more destructive to sea ice in recent years. In comparing storms from two periods (1991–2000 vs 2009–18), we find that only storms in August have become more destructive to sea ice in the recent period, because of warmer upper-ocean temperatures and thinner ice, which strong winds move around more easily. In June, clear-sky conditions have become more destructive to sea ice in recent years because declining ice cover has allowed more sunlight to be absorbed at the sea surface, favoring further ice melt. These results suggest that sunny conditions in June followed by stormy conditions in August could cause the first ice-free summer in the Arctic.

Ionospheric Response to the Coronal Hole Activity of August 2020: A Global Multi‐Instrumental Overview

AbstractWe have studied the ionospheric response to a coronal hole event of August 2020 using the data from global ionospheric maps, ground magnetometers and parameters from the instruments onboard SWARM and thermosphere, ionosphere, mesosphere energetics and dynamics satellites. The role of different physical drivers, responsible for observed ionospheric disturbance, has been identified. On the storm day (2 August), a steady southward directed interplanetary magnetic field Bz caused the penetration of magnetospheric convection electric field and positive storm effect in daytime sectors. As a result of prompt penetration electric field (PPEF) on 2 August, a polar‐ward expansion of day‐side ionospheric plasma. On 3 August, the signatures of both disturbance dynamo electric field (DDEF) caused by disturbed thermospheric winds and PPEF have been observed. The westward PPEF and eastward disturbance DDEF on the night‐side caused a strong enhancement in ionospheric plasma parameters at the corresponding sectors. The effect of disturbed thermospheric winds and resultant electric field persisted till the end of 7 August. The large decrease in O/N2 ratio at northern mid‐latitudes which is a consequence of the seasonal impact resulted in the negative storm effects at corresponding latitudinal regions. This study has shown that although the storm of August 2020 was a minor one, the associated high speed solar wind streams emanating from a coronal hole resulted in drastic changes in ionospheric parameters including global electron content, in situ electron density and total electron content at the equatorial ionization anomaly and equatorial electric field.

Local Persistent Ionospheric Positive Responses to the Geomagnetic Storm in August 2018 Using BDS-GEO Satellites over Low-Latitude Regions in Eastern Hemisphere

We present the ionospheric disturbance responses over low-latitude regions by using total electron content from Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), ionosonde data and Swarm satellite data, during the geomagnetic storm in August 2018. The results show that a prominent total electron content (TEC) enhancement over low-latitude regions is observed during the main phase of the storm. There is a persistent TEC increase lasting for about 1–2 days and a moderately positive disturbance response during the recovery phase on 27–28 August, which distinguishes from the general performance of ionospheric TEC in the previous storms. We also find that this phenomenon is a unique local-area disturbance of the ionosphere during the recovery phase of the storm. The enhanced foF2 and hmF2 of the ionospheric F2 layer is observed by SANYA and LEARMONTH ionosonde stations during the recovery phase. The electron density from Swarm satellites shows a strong equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) crest over the low-latitude area during the main phase of storm, which is simultaneous with the uplift of the ionospheric F2 layer from the SANYA ionosonde. Meanwhile, the thermosphere O/N2 ratio shows a local increase on 27–28 August over low-latitude regions. From the above results, this study suggests that the uplift of F layer height and the enhanced O/N2 ratio are possibly main factors causing the local-area positive disturbance responses during the recovery phase of the storm in August 2018.

Temporal Variations of the Three Geomagnetic Field Components at Colaba Observatory around the Carrington Storm in 1859

Abstract The Carrington storm in 1859 September has been arguably identified as the greatest geomagnetic storm ever recorded. However, its exact magnitude and chronology remain controversial, while their source data have been derived from the Colaba H magnetometer in India. Here, we have located the Colaba 1859 yearbook, containing hourly measurements and spot measurements. We have reconstructed the Colaba geomagnetic disturbances in the horizontal component (ΔH), the eastward component (ΔY), and the vertical component (ΔZ) around the time of the Carrington storm. On their basis, we have chronologically revised the interplanetary coronal mass ejection transit time as ≤17.1 hr and located the ΔH peak at 06:20—06:25 UT, revealing a magnitude discrepancy between the hourly and spot measurements (−1691 nT versus −1263 nT). Furthermore, we have newly derived the time series of ΔY and ΔZ, which peaked at ΔY ≈ 378 nT (05:50 UT) and 377 nT (06:25 UT), and ΔZ ≈ −173 nT (06:40 UT). We have also computed their hourly averages and removed their solar quiet field variations in each geomagnetic component to derive their hourly disturbance variations (Dist) with latitudinal weighting. Our calculations have resulted in disturbance variations with latitudinal weighting of Dist Y ≈ 328 nT and Dist Z ≈ −36 nT, and three scenarios of Dist H ≈ −918, −979, and −949 nT, which also approximate the minimum Dst. These data may suggest preconditioning of the geomagnetic field after the August storm (ΔH ≤ −570 nT), which made the September storm even more geoeffective.

Electron Acceleration by Magnetosonic Waves in the Deep Inner Belt (L = 1.5–2) Region During Geomagnetic Storm of August 2018

AbstractThe relativistic electron acceleration in the inner radiation belt have received little attention in the past due to sparse measurements. The 90° minimum pitch angle distributions of electrons in extremely low L‐shells during storms are speculated to be preferentially heated by fast magnetosonic waves. The high‐quality measurements of relativistic electrons by instruments onboard Van Allen Probes and ZH–1 provide a great opportunity to investigate the dynamics of relativistic electrons in the inner radiation belt. At extremely low L‐shells (L 2), a weak flux enhancement (increased by 2–3 times) of 100s keV electrons and the corresponding formation of butterfly PADs are observed during the major geomagnetic storm (minimum Dst ≈ −179 nT) occurred in August 2018. Simultaneously the magnetosonic waves, accompanied with weak hiss waves, were observed also in such low L‐shells. Combining with a numerical simulation of wave and particle interaction model, magnetosonic waves are thought to play an important role in electron acceleration and formation of butterfly PADs during this storm, which is the first direct observation in such low L‐shells.

Links of the Plasmapause With Other Boundary Layers of the Magnetosphere: Ionospheric Convection, Radiation Belt Boundaries, Auroral Oval

The plasmapause marks the limit of the plasmasphere and is characterized by a sudden change in plasma density. This can influence the other regions of the magnetosphere, including due to different waves circulating inside and outside the plasmasphere. In the present work, we first compare the positions of the plasmapause measured by the NASA Van Allen Probes in 2015 with those of the Space Weather Integrated Forecasting Framework plasmasphere model (SPM). Using the Van Allen Probes and other satellite observations like PROBA-V, we investigate the links that can exist with the radiation belt boundaries. The inward motion of the outer radiation belt associated with sudden flux enhancements of energetic electrons can indeed be directly related to the plasmapause erosion during geomagnetic storms, suggesting possible links. Moreover, the position of the plasmapause projected in the ionosphere is compared with the ionospheric convection boundary. The equatorward motion of the plasmapause projected in the ionosphere is related to the equatorward edge motion of the auroral oval that goes to lower latitudes during storms due to the geomagnetic perturbation, like the low altitude plasmapause and the outer radiation belt. The links between these different regions are investigated during quiet periods, for which the plasmasphere is widely extended, as well as during geomagnetic storms for which plumes are generated, and then afterwards rotates with the plasmasphere. The magnetic local time dependence of these boundaries is especially studied on March 14, 2014 after a sudden northward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and for the geomagnetic storm of August 26, 2018, showing the importance of the magnetic field topology and of the convection electric field in the interactions between these different regions eventually leading to the coupling between magnetosphere and ionosphere.

Solar Origins of August 26, 2018 Geomagnetic Storm: Responses of the Interplanetary Medium and Equatorial/Low‐Latitude Ionosphere to the Storm

AbstractThis study investigates the solar origins of August 26, 2018 geomagnetic storm and the responses of the interplanetary medium and equatorial/low‐latitude ionosphere to it. We used a multiinstrument approach, with observations right from the solar surface to the Earth. Our results showed that the G3 geomagnetic storm of August 26, 2018 was initiated by a solar filament eruption of August 20, 2018. The storm was driven by an aggregation of weak Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) transients and Corotating Interaction Regions/High Speed Streams (CIR/HSSs). The solar wind energy which got transferred into the magnetosphere drove electrical currents, that penetrated down into the ionosphere to produce weak Prompt Penetration Electric Field (PPEF) (0.3 mV/m). For this reason, during the storm, at daytime, plasma densities of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) crests were localized within the inner flank of ±15° magnetic latitude strip. We attributed this to the extreme quietness of year 2018. There was a clear hemispherical asymmetry, with higher Total Electron Content (TEC) in the northern hemisphere. The major determining factors of the ionospheric responses during the various phases of this storm were the local time of the storm's onset, local time of storm's minimum SYM‐H, and changes in thermospheric O/N2.

A Peculiar ICME Event in August 2018 Observed With the Global Muon Detector Network

AbstractWe demonstrate that global observations of high‐energy cosmic rays contribute to understanding unique characteristics of a large‐scale magnetic flux rope causing a magnetic storm in August 2018. Following a weak interplanetary shock on August 25, 2018, a magnetic flux rope caused an unexpectedly large geomagnetic storm. It is likely that this event became geoeffective because the flux rope was accompanied by a corotating interaction region and compressed by high‐speed solar wind following the flux rope. In fact, a Forbush decrease was observed in cosmic‐ray data inside the flux rope as expected, and a significant cosmic‐ray density increase exceeding the unmodulated level before the shock was also observed near the trailing edge of the flux rope. The cosmic‐ray density increase can be interpreted in terms of the adiabatic heating of cosmic rays near the trailing edge of the flux rope, as the corotating interaction region prevents free expansion of the flux rope and results in the compression near the trailing edge. A northeast‐directed spatial gradient in the cosmic‐ray density was also derived during the cosmic‐ray density increase, suggesting that the center of the heating near the trailing edge is located northeast of Earth. This is one of the best examples demonstrating that the observation of high‐energy cosmic rays provides us with information that can only be derived from the cosmic ray measurements to observationally constrain the three‐dimensional macroscopic picture of the interaction between coronal mass ejections and the ambient solar wind, which is essential for prediction of large magnetic storms.

Estimation of the behavior of coarse woody debris in an intense storm in August 2016 and its budget for the Tottabetsu River Catchment, Eastern Hokkaido

Estimation of the behavior of coarse woody debris in an intense storm in August 2016 and its budget for the Tottabetsu River Catchment, Eastern Hokkaido

Effects of the Strong Ionospheric Storm of August 26, 2018: Results of Multipath Radiophysical Monitoring

A brief description of the multipath coherent radio technique installation is presented. Its goal is continuous monitoring of the dynamical processes in the ionosphere caused by space weather variations and the impact of high-energy sources in the Earth–atmosphere–ionosphere–magnetosphere system. The variations of radio-wave characteristics (the Doppler spectra and signal amplitudes) in the HF range and the ionospheric parameters over China during the ionospheric storm of August 26, 2018, are described. An ∼50–100 km ascent in the radio-wave reflection region and its oscillations with an amplitude of ∼30–40 km were observed many times during the storm on all paths. The ascents were followed by descents of the radio-wave reflection region by many tens of kilometers. The ascents and descents of the reflection region were caused by a decrease in the electron concentration by a factor of 1.5–2 and its increase by a few times, respectively. The maximal increase in the electron concentration in the E and F regions reached a factor of 1.5 and 3, respectively. The relative amplitude of oscillations in the electron concentration reached many tens of percent. The amplitude of oscillations of frequency Doppler shift was several times lower on the reference days. The observed oscillations in the frequency Doppler shift were apparently caused by generation of the atmospheric gravity waves and their subsequent propagation to the latitudes of the means of observation. The velocity of wave disturbances was ∼275–480 m/s, whereas their period was ∼60 min. The ionospheric disturbances of August 27, 2018, were insignificant despite the repeated magnetic storm.

Toddbrook Reservoir: a case study quantifying the importance of maintaining bywashes

Ongoing maintenance and upkeep of bywashes can be expensive and difficult to justify, particularly in the context of other maintenance costs; in many cases made even more difficult as the structures are only rarely, if ever used. Using experience from the widely reported incident at Toddbrook Reservoir in August 2019 can help to quantify the benefit that bywash structures provide. A hydraulic model was developed to analyse the impact of the bywash in detail. Simulating the passage of the storm of August 2019, this paper demonstrates that the bywash reduced the duration of overtopping the auxiliary spillway by 40 hours (33%), compared to not having it in place. This is likely to have reduced the risk of even more widespread damage to the structure. For the ongoing management of the reservoir, the modelling showed the bywash can pass 2.5 m3/s, which provides the undertaker with operational cost savings (principally from pumping) to maintain the current drawdown. This paper provides an examination of the benefits of an operational bywash during a significant incident. The hydraulic modelling approach adopted has provided a unique opportunity to quantify and demonstrate the benefit for undertakers of maintaining their bywash assets.

New observations of the total electron content and ionospheric scintillations over Ho Chi Minh City

In January 2018, a Trimble NetR9 GNSS receiver was installed at International University - Vietnam National University (IU-VNU), which is located at 10°52'N, 106°48'E in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). The GNSS signals recorded from the receiver are useful for studying the ionospheric variations over this station as well as the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling effects, therefore, we aim to preliminarily process and evaluate data recorded from this new station. Based on the data obtained with this GNSS receiver, we first estimated the total electron content (TEC) using the carrier-phase method which is a combination of code and phase measurements. We then calculated the rate of change of TEC index (ROTI) with respect to time and investigated its day-to-day variations. Our results show some typical features in the diurnal and seasonal TEC and ionospheric scintillation variations during 2018-2019. The distributions of ROTI over these two years of solar minimum show significant occurrences of scintillation, which are caused by small-scale ionospheric irregularities in the equatorial ionosphere. In addition, we found a significant increase of TEC in the latest strong geomagnetic storm in August 2018. The disturbance dynamo appears to have suppressed plasma bubbles after sunset and enhanced their formation at midnight. Thus, the disturbance dynamo effectively caused a delay of ionospheric scintillations. The TEC observed in HCMC also contributes to the data of ground-based observational receiver systems along 105o E longitude for studying ionospheric variations in low-latitude and equatorial regions. Our preliminary results indicate that the GNSS data collected at IU-VNU station is a valuable reference dataset for further research of the ionosphere.

Particle Size Parameters of Particulate Matter Suspended in Coastal Waters and Their Use as Indicators of Typhoon Influence

The power law particle size distribution (PSD) slope parameter is commonly used to characterize sediment fluxes, resuspension, aggregates, and settling rates in coastal and estuarine waters. However, particle size distribution metrics are also very useful for understanding sediment source and dynamic processes. In this study, a method was proposed to employ the particle size parameters commonly used in sedimentary geology (average particle size (ø), sorting, skewness, and kurtosis) as indicators of changes in sediment dynamic processes, and MODIS images were used to estimate these parameters. The particle size parameters were estimated using a Mie scattering model, Quasi-Analytical Algorithm (QAA) analysis algorithm, and least squares QR decomposition (LSQR) solution method based on the relationship between the power law distribution of the suspended particles and their optical scattering properties. The estimates were verified by field measurements in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea regions of China. This method provided good estimates of the average particle size (ø), sorting, and kurtosis. A greater number of wavebands (39) was associated with more accurate particle size distribution curves. Furthermore, the method was used to monitor changes in suspended particulate matter in the vicinity of the Heini Bay of China before and after the passage of a strong storm in August 2011. The particle size parameters represented the influence of a strong typhoon on the distribution of the near-shore sediment and, together with the PSD slope, comprehensively reflected the changes in the near-shore suspended particulate matter. This method not only established the relationship between remote sensing monitoring and the historical sediment record, it also extends the power law model to the application of sediment source and dynamic processes in coastal waters.