Wind Sensitivity and Coastal Ocean Response Analysis of the Mississippi Sound - A Modeling Study

Abstract

Mississippi Sound is a shallow water estuarine system separated from Gulf of Mexico shelf waters by barrier islands and characterized by its strong weather fronts, storms, and hurricanes that affect the hydrodynamic and morphological factors of the area. In this study, a numerical modeling system is used to study the effects of the wind on coastal settings, inlets, and water exchange. The present work developed a MATLAB computational algorithm that filters and interpolates the wind forcing file obtained through the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) product to model the two data sets (unfiltered and filtered) in the COAWST ocean model. The results obtained from the model were analyzed analytically and quantitatively. Oceanic fields that are sensitive to wind force in coastal processes and estuarine systems were then isolated. The results made it possible to perceive the impact of the wind on ocean currents, on the exchange of continental and oceanic waters (through stratified salinity in the water column) and impacts on coastal fronts. The mean wind speed in the filtered data obtained decreased by approximately 2 m / s in all directions compared to the speed of the full resolution data. The most notable differences in flow velocity were observed in low-pressure systems, obtaining more precise and consistent values in the filtered data. The modeling tool created can be replicated and applied in different regions of the world as an instrument to understand and mitigate coastal marine impacts.