Forecasts of Wave-Induced Coastal Hazards in the United States Pacific Islands: Past, Present, and the Future
Forecasts of Wave-Induced Coastal Hazards in the United States Pacific Islands: Past, Present, and the Future
Posted April 6, 2019As part of the publication series OceanObs’19: An Ocean of Opportunity, the article Forecasts of Wave-Induced Coastal Hazards in the United States Pacific Islands: Past, Present, and the Future was recently published in Frontiers in Marine Science. PacIOOS researcher Dr. Martin Guiles is the lead author of this publication; other PacIOOS researchers and staff co-authored the paper, including Dr. Assaf Azouri, Dr.Volker Roeber, Melissa M. Iwamoto, Fiona Langenberger, and Dr. Douglas S. Luther.
The paper describes the development and progression of PacIOOS’ coastal forecasts, including the 6-day High Sea Level forecasts and Wave Run-up forecasts. The paper addresses the advancement from empirically-based forecasts towards a two-dimensional numerical modeling strategy for the forecast development.
To reach a future in which real-time two-dimensional model-based forecasts are a reality, the authors identify existing technologies that could lead to improvements, such as: (i) more accurate, accessible and frequently updated bathymetry and topography datasets; (ii) increased computational and software capabilities; and, (iii) more accurate sea level datasets. These advances, combined with crowdsourced-based model-data validation, will result in faster and more accurate forecasting tools that could greatly benefit coastal communities in need of more efficient risk mitigation programs.
