Surge

destruction caused by a storm surge

surge, in meteorology, an atmospheric process that operates on oceans and inland waters whereby a change in atmospheric pressure or a high-velocity wind works in conjunction with normal gravitational tides to produce dramatic changes in oceanic circulation, and, oftentimes, flooding in coastal areas. Though surges usually occur over vast areas, they are also associated with tropical storms and tropical cyclones (hurricanes); in this context, they are known as storm surges. They can also be generated by local storms over inland seas and lakes.

storm surge during Cyclone Marcia

Changes in atmospheric pressure are commonly noted in regions close to Earth’s large, semipermanent pressure centres, such as the high-pressure area associated with the southern North Atlantic Ocean. Passage of a high-pressure centre causes a fall in the water level, and passage of a low-pressure centre causes a rise. In areas where such occurrences have often been noted, a rise or fall of 2 millibars in 24 hours over an area of about 8,000,000 square km (about 3,090,000 square miles) is common.

The sudden increase in the speed of a large wind stream, especially in the tropics, can also cause surges. The progress of this type of surge can be followed on weather maps as it expands. During a “surge of the trades” in the trade-wind belts, wind speed often increases by about 40 km/h (25 mile/h) throughout the region between the surface and the 4,500-metre (15,000-foot) level. A surge in the monsoon currents is called a burst, or surge, of the monsoon.

diagram of surface waves

At smaller scales, storm surges appear as rises in the water level over and above the usual predicted tide. As tropical storms and tropical cyclones make landfall along a coast, storm surges may be driven inland by the winds to exacerbate flooding brought on by heavy rains. The amplitude (wave height) and destructive power of a storm surge is influenced by the storm’s intensity, path, and speed, as well as the coastal features (shape, shore slope, and orientation toward the storm) that it strikes.