Numerical simulation of the surge generated by the June 1982 Orissa cyclone

Abstract

A coastal zone numerical model has been used to estimate the surge generated by the 67 June 1982 Orissa cyclone. In this model the analysis area extends from 6 N to about 22 N along the east coast of India and there is an open-sea boundary situated, on average, about 300 km from the coast The model utilises a curvilinear boundary treatment to represent the coastlines and uses a non-uniform off-shore grid-spacing adjacent to the coastal boundaries. This allows an increased resolution near the Orissa coast.

Using a forcing wind-stress distribution representative of the Orissa cyclone, we compare the model predicted surges with the observed sea-surface elevations along part of the Orissa coast north of Paradip. The predicted peak surge elevation above mean sea level compares well with the observed values at the Paradip port and Dhamra harbour.