Tropical Cyclones

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xii

   PDF

2. Tropical Cyclones in the South Pacific

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

      PDF

   2. Setting the Scene

      Pages 3-14

   3. Tropical Cyclogenesis

      Pages 15-25

   4. Tropical Cyclone Structure

      Pages 26-32

   5. Tropical Cyclone Structure

      Pages 33-49

   6. Meteorological Conditions

      Pages 50-78

   7. Future Tropical Cyclone Activity

      Pages 79-86

3. Impacts of Tropical Cyclones

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 87-89

      PDF

   2. Coastal Geomorphology

      Pages 91-119

   3. Slope Stability and Mass Movements

      Pages 120-134

   4. River Hydrology and Floods

      Pages 135-159

   5. Fluvial Geomorphology

      Pages 160-176

4. Back Matter

   Pages 177-210

   PDF

accommodate terrestrial flooding. In consequence, although the natural vegetation may be severely damaged, tropical cyclones may have less geomorphic impact. Low coral islands, such as those that occur on atolls, have the most vulnerable physical environments of all. They are little more than unconsolidated heaps of coralline sands and gravels resting on reef foundations, and are especially prone to overtopping by storm surge and cyclone-driven waves. Associated sediment movement can produce rema- able changes – sometimes the complete obliteration of an island altogether, or on other occasions the creation of entirely new land. Island sensitivity to physical change is strongly conditioned by the degree to which the existing landscape is in dynamic equilibrium with the frequency of tropical cyclones. Walsh (1977) referred to this concept as ‘landscape eq- librium with the cyclone environment’. The idea is a simple one: a severe storm is more likely to produce catastrophic change on an island where one has not struck for a long time, since many of the geomorphic features are i- equipped to withstand the impact. In contrast, on islands where the effects of tropical cyclones have been felt more often, the contribution of an individual storm event to landscape change may be less significant. This is because the evolution of the island’s physical environment is in some degree of balance with regular climatic perturbations.

• Climatology
• Coast
• Cyclones
• Ocean
• South Pacific
• Storm
• Tropical
• cyclone
• sea level
• meteorology
• climate change
• hydrogeology

From the reviews: “Tropical Cyclones: Climatology and Impacts in the South Pacific describes the climatology, structure, and behavior of tropical cyclones in the South Pacific and … impacts of these storms on the physical environment of the islands in their path. … The text is … well laid out with black-and-white photographs, tables, and graphs. … appealing to students and professionals from the region. … It would be an excellent resource for climatologists and educators … . Researchers from other disciplines … will also find this volume valuable.” (Mark Sinclair, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, April, 2009)

• The University of the South Pacific, Fiji Islands

  James P. Terry

James Terry is Head of the Department of Geography at the University of the South Pacific (USP), Fiji Islands. Previous positions include Associate Professor at the Research Centre for the Pacific Islands, Kagoshima University, Japan. In addition to his lecture and research experience, Dr. Terry has served as a geographer consultant for various governmental institutions.

Policies and ethics