The tide forecasting system for China coastal seas: A case study on the effect of tides on storm surge

A Tide Forecasting and Visualization System (TFVS) is developed for providing the tidal information service for coastal regions of China. TFVS is capable of forecasting the tides (conducting harmonic analysis on the contrast) by invoking the T_TIDE package. Tide forecasting at 4 tidal stations has been carried out. Results show that the forecasted tides agreed well with the observations, which validates the accuracy and reliability of TFVS. Both forecasted and observed tides can be visualized and analyzed on TFVS. The realistic status of tides along China coastal region can be directly perceived/ monitored on TFVS. In addition, TFVS provides reliable tidal data to the oceanographic community and further supports science-based decision-making (such as disaster mitigation) at local government levels. The storm surge in the coastal region of Jiangsu Province is carried out to detect the proportion between maximum astronomical tides and storm-induced water rise (storm surge) in storm situations. Using tidal data from TFVS, the average proportion of maximum astronomical tide to the highest total water level in Jiangsu Province is about 70%.