A Finite Element Model of Storm Surge and Circulation for Chesapeake Bay and Its Atlantic Nearshore

A two-dimensional depth-integrated storm surge model has been developed for calculating water elevation and circulation in a bay-ocean system subject to the forcing of a hurricane. The model consists of a hydrodynamic model which is based on the continuity and momentum equations for fluid motion, and a hurricane model using semi- empirical formulae expressing atmospheric pressure and wind fields in terms of hurricane parameters. The hydrodynamic model employs Galerkin´s weighted residual finite element numerical scheme for solution. The model was used to hindcast the storm surge of hurricane Connie 1955 in the Chesapeake Bay and its Virginia Atlantic nearshore ocean. The response of the surge in the Bay to various combination of hurricane parameters was also studied. The result agrees reasonably with the observed data.