Storm surge prediction using Kalman filtering

The theory of Kalman filtering has been employed to develop a new method for predicting water-levels along the Dutch coast. Two different approaches have been developed. The first is based on the approximation of the tidal movement in the Dutch coastal area by a one-dimensional model. Beacause of the limited time interval over which predictions can be produced, the model is only realistic for a small part of the southern North Sea. To increase the prediction interval this model is extended to a two-dimensional one. To reduce the computational burden, the Kalman filter is approximated by a time-invariant filter. In this case the filter equations do not have to be computed over again as new measurements come available, but need only be solved once, off-line.