A numerical study of the response of a barotropic ocean to a moving hurricane

The response of a barotropic ocean to a moving hurricane is studied numerically for a rectangular constant-depth ocean with a shelf on one side. The large-scale features of sea level and circulation changes are determined, though a meso-scale phenomenon like shelf waves is recognized on the shelf area. In the open sea the change of sea level is primarily due to the low pressure and the strong current results from the wind stress. The storm over the open sea is accompanied by forced waves and leaves behind a geostrophically balanced current. When the storm is far away from the shore, the coastal region experiences only a slight inertial-gravity oscillation. A sudden change of sea level and an increase in velocity occur as the storm passes over the shelf. After the storm goes ashore the forced waves become free shelf waves which travel along the coast clockwise. The numerical results are compared to the observed data on sea-level variation along the coast and on the temperature change in the ocean after the passage of a storm.