Sea Level Changes Due to Hurricanes

Florida Straits, South Florida and Keys Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (FKeyS-HYCOM) Sea Level Changes Due to Hurricanes

Hurricanes cause changes in sea level through several different mechanisms including: the inverse barometer effect (static response of the sea surface to changing atmospheric pressure); a dynamic response to wind-induced currents; wave setup arising from the generation of wind waves; and surface buoyancy flux (precipitation).
 
Sea level depression in the wake of a hurricane was found to be induced by the hurricane’s wind stress and the surface Ekman divergence.

SSH before and after Hurricane Jeanne September 22 to 29, 2004. Hurricane Jeanne made landfall on Setpember 25, 2004.

DESCRIPTION:
Daily SSH maps from Sept 22 to 29, 2004 show the sea level changed due to the Hurricane Jeanne which was landed on Sept 25. Before the Jeanne, a submesoscale eddy is moving northward along the inner edge of the Florida Current with the sea level rise inside the Biscayne Bay. After passing the Jeanne, the rapid sea level decreases are shown followed by the relaxing level over the next couple of days.

CONTACT:
Villy Kourafalou — vkourafalou@rsmas.miami.edu
HeeSook Kang — hkang@rsmas.miami.edu