Tropical Cyclone Hazard Modelling and Mapping: an open source

application

Joy Papao, SPC - SOPAC

Tropical Cyclones, Typhoons & Hurricanes

Tropical Cyclone Overview - Formation

Tropical Cyclone Hazards

Torrential rains (flash flooding & river flooding)LandslidesStorm surges and wavesLightningSalt spray

Tropical Cyclone Risk Model

“assessing only wind hazard”

TCRM - usersClimatologists

Meteorologists

Natural hazard researchers

with limited or no programming experience

TCRM – configuration file

Input file – IBTrACS global database of tropical cycloneswww.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ibtracs

Domain – Country/Division/Location

Track Generator - No of years to simulate

Hazard – Return periods (25, 50, 100, 200, 250, 500….)

Viewing simulation results - graph

Cyclonic Wind Hazard for Lata, Solomon Islands

Simulation Results – Return Period

TC Track data – Quantum GIS

TC Tracking – Quantum GIS

TC Ivy - 2004

Wind field – Quantum GIS

Why Model?

To better understand the risk and potential impacts of these natural hazard on our communities

Increase resilience

Could be used to improve early warning procedures for TCs, in this case

May want to look at how different TC hazards affect areas of interest

Acknowledgement

• Geoscience Australia, AUSAID, QUT and especially Dr Martine Woolf and Craig Arthur