Residents witnessed, in the early hours of this Monday (2), a climate phenomenon known as meteorological tsunami in Jaguaruna a city located on the south coast of Santa Catarina. The episode left no injuries.
According to the state’s Civil Defense, the phenomenon, also known as meteotsunami, occurred around 1 am and in conditions unusual as meteorological models did not indicate high tide or sea disturbances.
The episode – which concerns the sudden advance of the sea – was caused by an intense line of instability present in the region, formed by storms that, in addition to causing strong winds, also generate significant changes in atmospheric pressure. That way, This set of factors creates pressure pulses that propagate in the ocean, which amplifies the waves as they approach the coast.
“When there is an almost perfect resonance between the speed of the squall line and the waves in the ocean, the effect is intensified, causing a sudden advance of the sea”, explains meteorologist Caio Guerra.
The Defense Monitoring Center points out that the Balneário Rincão tide gauge station recorded an increase of one meter in sea level in a few minutes due to the phenomenon.
According to the state’s Civil Defense, other meteorological tsunamis have already been recorded on the southern coast of Santa Catarina, especially in the spring. The most recent occurred in November last year, in the municipality of Laguna (SC).
“The authorities reinforce the importance of constant monitoring of weather conditions and raising awareness among the population on how to act in similar situations”, highlighted the Civil Defense.
What is a meteotsunami
Meteotsunamis do not originate in earthquakes, but in meteorological phenomena.
Unlike tsunamis triggered by seismic activity, meteotsunamis are caused by disturbances in atmospheric pressure, often associated with fast-moving meteorological events, such as severe thunderstorms, gust fronts and other storm fronts .
According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the storm generates a wave that moves toward the coast and is amplified by a shallow continental shelf and an inlet, bay or other coastal feature.
The weather phenomenon can generate waves of up to two meters or more and has been documented in many places around the world, such as the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Coast of the United States and the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas.
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This content was originally published in Meteorological tsunami hits the city of Santa Catarina; understand the phenomenon on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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