4.6 Article

Run-up parameterization and beach vulnerability assessment on a barrier island: a downscaling approach

Journal

NATURAL HAZARDS AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
Volume 16, Issue 1, Pages 167-180

Publisher

COPERNICUS GESELLSCHAFT MBH
DOI: 10.5194/nhess-16-167-2016

Keywords

-

Funding

  1. National Council of Science and Technology [1146]
  2. Institute of Engineering - UNAM [4314, 4302]
  3. Dutch Technology Foundation STW
  4. Ministry of Economic Affairs [12397]
  5. DGAPA UNAM (PAPIIT) [IN107315]
  6. Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)

Ask authors/readers for more resources

We present a downscaling approach for the study of wave-induced extreme water levels at a location on a barrier island in Yucaton (Mexico). Wave information from a 30-year wave hindcast is validated with in situ measurements at 8m water depth. The maximum dissimilarity algorithm is employed for the selection of 600 representative cases, encompassing different combinations of wave characteristics and tidal level. The selected cases are propagated from 8m water depth to the shore using the coupling of a third-generation wave model and a phase-resolving nonhydrostatic nonlinear shallow-water equation model. Extreme wave run-up, R-2%, is estimated for the simulated cases and can be further employed to reconstruct the 30-year time series using an interpolation algorithm. Downscaling results show run-up saturation during more energetic wave conditions and modulation owing to tides. The latter suggests that the R-2% can be parameterized using a hyperbolic-like formulation with dependency on both wave height and tidal level. The new parametric formulation is in agreement with the downscaling results (r(2) = 0.78), allowing a fast calculation of wave-induced extreme water levels at this location. Finally, an assessment of beach vulnerability to wave-induced extreme water levels is conducted at the study area by employing the two approaches (reconstruction/parameterization) and a storm impact scale. The 30-year extreme water level hindcast allows the calculation of beach vulnerability as a function of return periods. It is shown that the downscaling-derived parameterization provides reasonable results as compared with the numerical approach. This methodology can be extended to other locations and can be further improved by incorporating the storm surge contributions to the extreme water level.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.6
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available