Investigation of Convective Downburst Hazards to Marine Transportation

Abstract

Convective downbursts are known to produce potentially hazardous weather conditions. Currently, severity indices are used to estimate the strength of a potential downburst, but this information does not readily translate to the variables affected by downburst events. The effects of downbursts are often associated with aviation because of rapid changes in wind direction and speed, but can also be observed in marine conditions. Three recently observed downburst events have been selected as case studies to evaluate the effects of the downbursts on the marine environment. The information gathered on these events includes wind speed, gusts and direction at the surface, air temperature and pressure, water level, and Wet Microburst Severity Index (WMSI) values. Correlation between the WMSI values, the maximum wind gust, and the change in water level is suggested.