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Atmospheric processes responsible for generation of the 2008 Boothbay meteotsunami

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Meteorological Tsunamis: The U.S. East Coast and Other Coastal Regions

Abstract

We investigated the atmospheric processes and physics that were active during a tsunami-like event hitting Boothbay Harbor area (Maine, USA) on 28 October 2008. The data collected by tide gauges, ground and sounding stations and meteo–ocean buoys in the area were analyzed, together with satellite and radar images. The atmospheric processes were reproduced by the weather research and forecasting model, verified by in situ and remote sensing data. A cold front moved over the area at the time of the event, with embedded convective clouds detected by satellite and radar data and the internal gravity waves (IGWs) detected by radar and reproduced by the model at the rear of the frontal precipitation band. According to the model, the IGWs that passed over Boothbay Harbor generated strong ground air-pressure oscillations reaching 2.5 hPa/3 min. The IGWs were ducted towards the coast without significant dissipation, propagating in a stable near-surface layer capped by an instability at approximately 3.5 km height and satisfying all conditions for their maintenance over larger areas. The intensity, speed and direction of the IGWs were favourable for generation of a meteotsunami wave along the Gulf of Maine shelf. Operational observation systems were not capable of sufficiently capturing the ground disturbance due to a too coarse sampling rate, while the numerical model was found to be a useful tool in eventual future detection and warning systems.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište I. Meštrovića 63, 21000, Split, Croatia

    I. Vilibić

  2. Meteorological and Hydrological Service, Grič 3, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    K. Horvath & N. Strelec Mahović

  3. IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Ctra. Valldemossa, km. 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    S. Monserrat, M. Marcos & Á. Amores

  4. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ocean Science Division, Institute of Ocean Sciences, 9860 W. Saanich Rd., Sidney, BC, Canada

    I. Fine

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  1. I. Vilibić
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  2. K. Horvath
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  3. N. Strelec Mahović
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  7. I. Fine
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Correspondence to I. Vilibić .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište I. Meštrovića 63, 21000, Split, Croatia

    Ivica Vilibić

  2. Institute for Advanced Studies, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), C/ Miquel Marquès 21, 07190, Esporles, Spain

    Sebastian Monserrat

  3. Russian Academy of Sciences, P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Nakhimovski prospect 36, 117997, Moscow, Russia

    Alexander B. Rabinovich

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Vilibić, I. et al. (2013). Atmospheric processes responsible for generation of the 2008 Boothbay meteotsunami. In: Vilibić, I., Monserrat, S., Rabinovich, A.B. (eds) Meteorological Tsunamis: The U.S. East Coast and Other Coastal Regions. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12712-5_3

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