Studying the potential effect of storm surges and tsunamis on coastal regions in the South China Sea

Intensified tropical cyclone activities in the western North Pacific have become increasing threats to coastal cities in the context of global climate change. Storm surges superimposed with astronomical tides often cause severe flooding in many coastal cities in South China Sea region.

The potential for coastal inundation can also be linked to potential tsunami hazards associated with earthquakes originating from the Manila trench. Research and assessment in these areas have become increasingly important for the region. These two types of coastal disasters have been studied independently in the past since they are caused by different source mechanisms in nature.

A team of reseachers at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the National University of Singapore are using NSCC’s supercomputing resources to investigate the potential compound impact of storm surges and tsunamis on Macau and Hong Kong through the numerical modelling of the hydrodynamic processes involved. The team is looking to develop a comprehensive regional coastal hazard database by synthesizing historical tsunami and earthquake events associated with the Manila trench as well as a methodology for quantifying the uncertainty of earthquake characteristics in the Manila trench to estimate its effects on coastal inundation in the region.