A coupled circulation-wave model for numerical simulation of storm tides and waves

The Stevens Institute of Technology Estuarine and Coastal Ocean Model (sECOM) is coupled here with the Mellor-Donelan-Oey (MDO) wave model to simulate coastal flooding due to storm tides and waves. sECOM is the three-dimensional (3D) circulation model used in the New York Harbor Observing and Prediction System (NYHOPS). The MDO wave model is a computationally cost-effective spectral wave model suitable for coupling with 3D circulation models. The coupled sECOM-MDO model takes into account wave-current interactions through wave-enhanced water surface roughness and wind stress, wave-current bottom stress, and depth-dependent wave radiation stress. The model results are compared with existing laboratory measurements and the field data collected in New York-New Jersey (NY-NJ) harbor during Hurricane Sandy. Comparisons between the model results and laboratory measurements demonstrate the capabilities of the model to accurately simulate wave characteristics, wave-induced water elevation, and undertow current. The model results for Hurricane Sandy reveal the successful performance of sECOM-MDO in situations where high waves and storm tides coexist. The results indicate that the temporal maximum wave setup in NY-NJ harbor was 0.26 m. On the other hand, the contribution of wave setup to the peak storm tide was 0.13 m, a contribution of only 3.8%. It is found that the inclusion of wave radiation stress and wave-enhanced bottom friction in the circulation model can reduce the errors in the calculated storm tides. At the Battery (New York), for example, the root-mean-square error reduced from 0.17 to 0.12 m.