Storms in Coral Reefs

Vila‐Concejo, Ana; Kench, Paul S.

doi:10.1002/9781118937099.ch7

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…This observation highlights the constructional effect of TCs, which may provide fresh material to sedimentary cells. These positive impacts of TCs on coastal morphology are reported in the literature (Duvat et al, 2017b(Duvat et al, , 2017cKench and Mann, 2017;Vila-Concejo and Kench, 2017). Here, the advance of the base of the beach can be explained by the provision of both marine sediments by the coral reef (coral fragments were broken and transported to the coast by the cyclonic waves) and terrestrial sediments by rivers (many accretion peaks are situated at river mouths).…”

Section: Contribution Of Cyclonic Events To Shoreline Changementioning

confidence: 72%

Human- and climate-driven shoreline changes on a remote mountainous tropical Pacific Island: Tubuai, French Polynesia

2019

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Section: Contribution Of Cyclonic Events To Shoreline Changementioning

confidence: 72%

Human- and climate-driven shoreline changes on a remote mountainous tropical Pacific Island: Tubuai, French Polynesia

2019

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“…In other words, when extreme water levels associated with TC Pam are taken into local historical context (through extreme value analysis), they align better with the reported impacts. This makes sense from a geomorphology perspective, since local storm ridges and other reef island features are highly dependent on local wave climate (e.g., Woodroffe, 2008;Vila-Concejo and Kench, 2017). .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Severe Flooding in the Atoll Nations of Tuvalu and Kiribati Triggered by a Distant Tropical Cyclone Pam

et al. 2021

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Tropical cyclone (TC) Pam formed in the central south Pacific in early March 2015. It reached a category 5 severity and made landfall or otherwise directly impacted several islands in Vanuatu, causing widespread damage and loss of life. It then moved along a southerly track between Fiji and New Caledonia, generating wind-waves of up to approximately 15 m, before exiting the region around March 15th. The resulting swell propagated throughout the central Pacific, causing flooding and damage to communities in Tuvalu, Kiribati and Wallis and Futuna, all over 1,000 km from TC Pam’s track. The severity of these remote impacts was not anticipated and poorly forecasted. In this study, we use a total water level (TWL) approach to estimate the climatological conditions and factors contributing to recorded impacts at islands in Tuvalu and Kiribati. At many of the islands, the estimated TWL associated with Pam was the largest within the ∼40-year period of available data, although not necessarily the largest in terms of estimated wave setup and runup; elevated regional sea-level also contributed to the TWL. The westerly wave direction likely contributed to the severity, as did the locally exceptional storm-swell event’s long duration; the overall timing and duration of the event was modulated by astronomical tides. The findings of this study give impetus to the development, implementation and/or improvement of early warning systems capable of predicting such reef-island flooding. They also have direct implications for more accurate regional flood hazard analyses in the context of a changing climate, which is crucial for informing adaptation policies for the atolls of the central Pacific.

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“…Better understanding of these processes is more relevant than ever, as climate change increases the reach, intensity, and frequency of storms (Bender et al, 2010; Cheal et al, 2017) and coral reefs worldwide may become more affected by large storm events (Vila‐Concejo & Kench, 2017). Increase in storm frequency makes biomechanically vulnerable species such as table corals more susceptible to future changes, threatening numerous other reef organisms that are dependent upon them (Madin et al, 2012).…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

How monster storms shape fringing reefs: Observations from the 2020 Middle East Cyclone

et al. 2023

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In March 2020, an unusually intense storm system struck the Gulf of Aqaba‐Eilat, resulting in severe shoreline damage. This brief account examines post‐storm observations of inconsistent damage patterns and structural changes along a specific coastal stretch located at the south beach of Eilat. Certain sections of the coastline experienced direct impact from extreme waves on the south‐southeast‐facing shallow reef, resulting in areas where rocks were completely stripped of corals due to sediment backwash. Conversely, areas characterized by ridges and deep troughs saw the loss of branching corals and some massive colonies, while many small corals survived. A neighboring area with a well‐developed fringing reef suffered lesser damage. Between the severely affected shallow reef and the robust fringing reef lies an unconsolidated slope that migrated eastward by at least 2 m following the storm, incorporating numerous coral colonies dislodged by the event. We propose that this slope advances with each major storm occurrence, influencing the characteristics of nearby shores and coral reefs. This case demonstrates how storm events, in conjunction with geomorphology, have a cumulative and significant impact not only on the structure of coral communities but also on the fundamental shape of coral reefs themselves. As climate change amplifies the range, intensity, and frequency of storms, comprehending these processes becomes increasingly crucial.

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Storms in Coral Reefs

Cited by 6 publications

References 64 publications

Human- and climate-driven shoreline changes on a remote mountainous tropical Pacific Island: Tubuai, French Polynesia

Human- and climate-driven shoreline changes on a remote mountainous tropical Pacific Island: Tubuai, French Polynesia

Severe Flooding in the Atoll Nations of Tuvalu and Kiribati Triggered by a Distant Tropical Cyclone Pam

How monster storms shape fringing reefs: Observations from the 2020 Middle East Cyclone

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