Recent observations of meteotsunamis on the Finnish coast

Hilkka Pellikka (), Jenni Rauhala, Kimmo Kahma, Tapani Stipa, Hanna Boman and Antti Kangas

Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, 2014, vol. 74, issue 1, 197-215

Abstract: We present four case studies of exceptional wave events of meteorological origin, observed on the Finnish coast in the summers of 2010 and 2011. Eyewitnesses report unusually rapid and strong sea-level variations (up to 1 m in 5–15 min) and strong oscillating currents during these events. High-resolution sea-level measurements confirm the eyewitness observations, but the oscillations recorded by tide gauges mostly have a considerably smaller amplitude. The oscillations coincide with sudden jumps in surface air pressure at coastal observation stations, related to the passage of squall lines or gust fronts. These fronts propagate above the sea at a resonant speed, allowing efficient energy transfer between the atmospheric disturbance and the sea wave that it generates. Thus, we interpret the observed sea-level oscillations as small meteotsunamis, long tsunami-like waves generated by meteorological processes and resonance effects. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Keywords: Meteotsunami; Sea-level variations; Tide-gauge records; Baltic Sea; Gulf of Finland; Gulf of Bothnia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11069-014-1150-3

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