IUTAM Symposium on Storm surge modelling and forecasting

Storm surges are the major geophysical threat to life and properties in coastal regions, being more widespread and frequent than tsunamis. Yet recent storm surge events around the globe raised painful death tolls and caused major economic losses, showing unpreparedness of the scientific community in forecasting the violence of such powerful natural hazards. Current research on storm surges suffers in fact from multiple divisions. This is mainly caused by lack of communication and networking between experts of the different disciplines involved, like coastal oceanography, ocean engineering and mathematics, and by the consequent lack of international initiatives. This Symposium proposes to gather together prominent academics active in the field of storm surge modelling and forecasting, in order to foster a multidisciplinary approach aimed at facing the storm surge threat at a global level. The focus of the Symposium will be on quantifying the uncertainties on the effects of wind, wave and current flows in coastal waters and on the role of coupling between storm systems, tides and extreme waves in exacerbating the intensity of the surge. Further insight will be offered into emerging technologies for storm surge forecasting and evaluating impacts of storm surges on coastal structures. It is envisaged that the outcome of the Symposium will be of fundamental help to the storm surge modelling and forecasting communities.