Join us via Microsoft Teams (no account needed, click here) on September 22nd at 12pm EDT

Forecasting total water levels and coastal change hazards

Abstract: The USGS/NOAA Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecast Viewer provides coastal communities with advance notice of potential for elevated coastal water levels and coastal changes on sandy beaches that may threaten safety, infrastructure, or resources. The continuously operating model provides hourly forecasts for select regions of the U.S. coastline based on local beach characteristics. This presentation will highlight the topographic and bathymetric data needed for the model, as well as skill assessments for forecasts in Louisiana and North Carolina. Forecasts including and excluding time dependent changes in forcing will be contrasted.

Biography: Meg Palmsten joined the U.S. Geological Survey’s St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as a Research Oceanographer in 2020. Her work is focused on studying the physical processes driving coastal change on sandy beaches, with special emphasis on making observations in coastal environments using state-of-the-art technology and developing data-driven models for real-time forecasting of coastal change hazards. She is especially interested in understanding model uncertainty and communicating forecasts with stakeholders and end users. Prior to her present position, Dr. Palmsten spent nearly a decade as an Oceanographer in the Seafloor Sciences Branch of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Dr. Palmsten received her PhD from Oregon State University, her master’s degree from the University of South Florida, and her bachelor’s degree from Eckerd College..