Integrated Methods for Obtaining Specialized Hydrometeorological Information

Abstract

Hydrometeorological support for marine branches of the economy and safety of human activities on offshore regions require knowledge of the main hydrometeorological variables (wind, sea level, currents, wind waves) and their extreme characteristics with long return periods of 25, 50 and 100 years. These characteristics are related to the frequency and the intensity of disastrous hydrometeorological phenomena. Organization of long-term observations in offshore areas is often infeasible. Current attempts to calculate these characteristics on the basis of interpolation of data obtained on coastal stations are not methodically justified. Consequently, the only means of studying these hydrometeorological variables is to use integrated methods that include computer processing of the available data and hydrodynamic and probabilistic modeling.

The description of sea levels and currents must include estimates of rare values. The most important features in the hydrodynamics of coastal seas and gulfs are related to motions arising as a result of propagation of long waves through open boundaries. That is why the majority of storm surge studies and prediction methods use 2D hydrodynamic models based on shallow water equations. Design and installation of stationary shelf oil and gas platforms require information about the vertical structure of currents. These characteristics are obtained by the simulation of 3D hydrodynamic models. Probabilistic modeling permits to obtain climate characteristics with long return periods. Such integrated methods are developed at the State Oceanographic Institute of Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet).