ADCIRC STORM SURGE MODELING OF THE NEW ARTIFICIAL DUNE SYSTEM FROM SOUTH BEACH TO FOX BEACH, STATEN ISLAND NEW YORK

The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation has installed a system of coastal sand dunes along the east shore of Staten Island. Field work was done to locate the position of the dune system. We studied the dune system from South Beach to Oakwood Beach. This New York City Department of Parks and Recreation coastal dune system is not continuous at Miller Field. In front of Miller Field there is a different dune system with a lower elevation. There is an opening of approximately 6 meters on both ends between the two dune systems. The College’s super Cray high performance computational capabilities applied the Advanced Circulation (ADCIRC) storm surge and flooding software model with the Region 2 numerical grid. The grid was adapted to represent 2 configurations. In configuration 1, we modeled the dune system with an elevation of 13ft(3.96 meters) NAVD88. In situation 2, we modeled the dune system with an elevation of 13ft(3.96 meters) NAVD88 to the NE corner of Miller Field showing a discontinuity from one dune system to the other.In configuration 1 the inundation was reduced to zero. Recently obtained data from the USGS consisting of GPS data and Lidar data is being incorporated into configuration 2. The NYC Parks Department dune was not constructed across Miller Field. In fact, it stops short of the field leaving a large area with a different dune system. Our model of Configuration 2 will show inundation due to the 2 separate dune systems if Superstorm Sandy were to occur in the upcoming hurricane season. If a continuous dune system is present, there would be no further inundation.