Influence of tropical cyclone intensity and size on storm surge in the northern East China Sea

Abstract

Typhoon storm surge research has always been very important and worthy of attention. Less is studied about the impact of tropical cyclone size (TC size) on storm surge, especially in semi-enclosed areas such as the northern East China Sea (NECS). Observational data for Typhoon Winnie (TY9711) and Typhoon Damrey (TY1210) from satellite and tide stations, as well as simulation results from a finite-volume coastal ocean model (FVCOM), were developed to study the effect of TC size on storm surge. Using the maximum wind speed (MXW) to represent the intensity of the tropical cyclone and seven-level wind circle range (R7) to represent the size of the tropical cyclone, an ideal simulation test was conducted. The results indicate that the highest storm surge occurs when the MXW is 40-45 m/s, that storm surge does not undergo significant change with the RWM except for the area near the center of typhoon and that the peak surge values are approximately a linear function of R7. Therefore, the TC size should be considered when estimating storm surge, particularly when predicting marine-economic effects and assessing the risk.