Ocean loading deformations caused by storm surges on the northwest European shelf

A model of the non-tidal ocean loading deformations caused by storm surges on the northwest European shelf has been developed using the output from a 12 km grid storm surge model. The spatial distributions of displacements and gravity variations caused by a typical storm surge event are computed in order to show the magnitudes of the effects that can be expected in space geodetic or gravity measurements. A storm surge of just over 2 m in the southern North Sea produces vertical displacements of -20 to -30 mm and increases of gravity of 6 to 8 mu gal in the coastal areas of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and the east coast of England. It is shown that the loading deformations due to surges affect a wide area of northwest Europe and that high resolution non-tidal loading models are required for correcting geodetic measurements made in areas near shallow continental shelves.