Joy Papao, SPC - SOPAC

Tropical Cyclones, Typhoons & Hurricanes

Tropical Cyclone Overview - Formation

Tropical Cyclone Hazards
 Torrential rains (flash flooding & river flooding)
 Landslides
 Storm surges and waves
 Lightning
 Salt spray

Tropical Cyclone Risk Model

TCRM - users
 Climatologists
 Meteorologists
 Natural hazard researchers with limited or no programming experience

TCRM – configuration file
 Input file – IBTrACS global database of tropical cyclones www.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