Abstracts
SEARCH Open Science Meeting
October 27, 2003
Seattle, Washington, USA
Storm Patterns in the Circumpolar Coastal Regime Derived from Observational Data, 1950 - 2000
David E. Atkinson1, Steven M. Solomon2
1Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic), 1 Challenger Drive, P.O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 4A2, Canada, Phone 902-426-0652, Fax 902-426-4104, datkinso@nrcan.gc.ca
2Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic), Bedford Institute of Oceanography, PO Box 1006, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 4A2, Canada, Phone 902-426-8911, Fax 902-426-4104, solomon@agc.bio.ns.ca
The surface wind field climatology is an important component of many physical processes at the coastal margins, including wave and sea-ice regimes. Knowing potential wind speed maxima and associated typical directions is a first stage in understanding and planning for contingency. Typically, the largest and most damaging winds are associated with storm events. We present results from analyses of 50 years of storm events extracted from wind speed data based on 4-times daily observational sources gathered by weather stations situated in the circumpolar coastal regions. Analysis is broken down into seven regional sectors as defined by the Arctic Coastal Dynamics (ACD) project steering committee.
General storminess patterns indicate winter intensities greater than summer, in terms of wind speeds, event durations, and event counts. These general patterns exhibit regional variability. Delineation of trends in storm event variables is difficult because of the low signal-to-noise ratio inherent when the number of events per year is small yet highly variable from year to year. Such trends or patterns as are evident will be reviewed.
Abstract Categories: Coastal Processes
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