Stage 1a Operational Manual, March 2004
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MMSURGE Modelling Sytem and Parametric Model Processing
Introduction
The Queensland Climate Change and Community Vulnerability to Tropical Cyclones – Ocean Hazards Assessment project commenced in 2000. Stage 1 of the project was awarded to Systems Engineering Australia Pty Ltd (SEA) in association with the James Cook University Marine Modelling Unit (MMU). Stage 1(a) consisted of a technical review of the methodology, data and approaches required to undertake the study, while Stage 1(b) required the supply and installation of the MMUSURGE numerical storm surge model and associated numerical model domains for the Queensland coast onto the Queensland Regional Office computer system.
Stage 1(a) (Harper 2001) recommended that the optimum long-term storm tide forecast and warning system would be based on real-time application of numerical storm surge and spectral wave models integrated into Bureau of Meteorology forecasting systems. However, it was also recommended that a shorter-term implementation of an efficient MEOW-style capability could be based on the development of parametric models for tide, storm surge and waves. The Queensland Regional office subsequently decided to pursue in-house development of a parametric storm tide modelling system with initial specialist assistance from SEA.
This document provides:
- An overview of the Stage 1(b) implementation of the MMUSURGE numerical hydrodynamic model and its operational needs, and
- The specification, implementation and documentation of a parametric storm tide model development system forming Stages 1(c) and 1(d).
The work described here was undertaken over a number of years, commencing with the installation of the MMUSURGE model at the end of 2000 (Stage 1(b)), followed by short-term SEA assistance with the in-house parametric model development (Stage 1(c)), mainly between March and October of 2001. Initial processing was facilitated by the use of OCTAVE software, an Open Software Foundation emulation of MATLAB™. However, the capabilities offered by OCTAVE were limited and under Stage 1(d), additional external short-term C language programming assistance was obtained by the Queensland Regional Office in early 2002. Production A and B grid modelling for the Queensland east coast was then completed in 2004 for coast-crossing storm scenarios. The parallel-to-coast case is yet to be considered and there has been no wave modelling or wave setup analyses undertaken.
The structure of this document, which was finalised in its present form following the 2004 Project Synthesis Report (Harper 2004), is as follows:
- Section 2 provides an overview of the system directory structure and the various Unix™ scripts developed to automate the storm surge modelling production work;
- Section 3 discusses the numerical model domains supplied under Stage 1(a) and the indicative CIRRUS1 workstation performance obtained during Stage 1(b);
- Section 4 provides details of operations for the various software sub-systems under Stage 1(c) and (d); Systems Engineering Australia Pty Ltd MMUSURGE Modelling System and Parametric Model Processing J0103-PR0001B 1 Mar 2004 Bureau of Meteorology Queensland Climate Change and Community Vulnerability to Tropical Cyclones Queensland Regional Office Ocean Hazards Assessment - Stage 1(c) & (d)
- Section 5 details the statistical analyses done under Stage 1(c) by SEA to provide an objective basis for deciding on the storm parameter ranges to be modelled by MMUSURGE for each A and B grid;
- Section 6 explains the technical basis of the parametric storm surge model;
- Section 7 outlines how the processing of the MMUSURGE output is specifically organised to provide the form of the parametric model;
- Appendix A contains the set of mapped domains developed under Stage 1(c) where the Stage 1(b) supplied domains were augmented with locations from the official gazetteer;
- Appendix B contains a detailed description of the parametric processing software developed in the C language during Stage 1(d);
- Appendix C describes how the parametric prediction is undertaken.
This report should also be read in conjunction with the MMUSURGE User's Guide provided by James Cook University (Mason and McConochie 2001).
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