Theory 02/Coastal Engineering
Surge Damage Is a Height Ratio
The claim
Storm surge damage to a coastal barrier is set by the ratio of surge height to dune crest height rather than by surge height alone.
01Mechanism
Overtopping begins when surge exceeds the crest; below that ratio the dune absorbs the event, above it the barrier is breached and the damage becomes nonlinear.
02Predictions
- P1Damage should jump at a surge-to-crest ratio.
- P2Absolute surge should mispredict across barrier heights.
03Refutation
Damage tracking surge height would remove the ratio.