Numerical Simulation of the Storm Surge at the Sakhalin Island Southern Part on November 15, 2019

Abstract

Purpose. Investigation of the storm surge in Korsakov in the southern part of the Sakhalin Island on November 15, 2019 and comparison of the results of its numerical simulation with the data of in situ measurements constitute the aim of the article. Methods and Results. In situ measurements of the storm surge in Korsakov (the Sakhalin region) were performed and the data on the flooded area dimensions were collected. A storm period on the Sakhalin Island is almost the annual event in an autumn-winter season. The severe storm that happened in the southern Sakhalin region on November 15, 2019 led to flooding of the port territory in Korsakov. Due to the NAMI-DANCE computational complex, the storm surge was numerically simulated within the framework of the system of shallow water equations in the spherical coordinates on the rotating Earth with the regard for the friction force and the atmospheric effect. The calculations included the data on temporal and spatial distribution of the wind speed at the altitude 10 m taken from the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis database. The data on the atmospheric pressure were not applied in simulations since the atmosphere pressure gradient at the area under study was small. The simulation was carried out in the course of three days. The simulations showed that in 20 hours after the wind forcing had started, the water level in the port increased up to its maximum values, and did not fall the whole day. The water level maximum heights were concentrated in the southwestern part of the Aniva Bay. At that the calculated current speeds reached 2 m/s. During the storm, at the wind speed up to 15 m/s, the storm surge height in the Korsakov port area constituted 1.7 m, whereas the width of the flooded zone was up to 200 m. These results are confirmed well by the in situ measurement data. Conclusions. The simulation values of the power characteristics for the above-mentioned storm are represented in the paper. The Froude number square reaches 0.03 in the Korsakov city port area, and spatial distribution of the wave strength moment is up to 1 m3/s2. Field measurements and eyewitness reports confirm the evidence of a powerful impact of a storm surge upon the port constructions.