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| Description: Formation of a Storm Surge When a hurricane is in deep ocean waters, the circulating wind pushes the ocean surface to create a vertically circulating column of water, where the surge is barely visible. However, as the storm moves closer to the shore, the water which is being pushed downwards by the wind cannot move any lower, so the water forces itself from the sides towards land, causing a storm surge wave. Although low pressure also contributes to the surge, its influence is very small, i.e., around 5%. An average storm surge can reach heights of around 15 feet, while a storm tide will reach around 17 feet. However, larger and smaller ones have also been observed and recorded. On the other hand, the width of these waves depends upon the shoreline length, with larger surges being recorded at longer beaches. Picture Stats: Views: 468 Filesize: 30.97kB Height: 297 Width: 450 Source: https://biology-forums.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=40287 |