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Email the author (Login required) The storm of August 8, 2015 in the regions of Valparaíso and Coquimbo, Central Chile
Submited: 2017-10-23 18:32:56 | Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3856/vol45-issue4-fulltext-1
Abstract
A storm of August 8, 2015 was characterized by the joint occurrence of meteorological and oceanographic conditions that caused the destruction of coastal infrastructure and buildings in several localities of the central coast of Chile. The extreme swell was added to wind gusts coming from the northwest winds, and a historical minimum of atmospheric pressure. The tide of astronomical origin -although not extreme-, made its contribution to the sea level banking on which the waves broke violent on the coastal edge. In order to study the event, records of: a) 64 weather stations distributed in the coastal zone of Valparaiso and Coquimbo regions, b) six tide gauge stations, c) forecast and wave records in deep-waters, and d) a model of deep-water wave propagation towards the most affected sectors of the region, were processed. From the analysis of these variables, the observed damages in the coastal infrastructure are explained.
