Hiroshi Takagi

Manning's n values for open channel (river) flow have been studied by hydraulic engineers since the late 19th century, and a rich literature exists on the topic including large-scale laboratory experiments and actual field measurements. Both river flood models and shallow water equation tsunami inundation models incorporate the importance of varying equivalent roughness values with the large-scale roughness elements present for different land use types. However, many tsunami models (especially i

Abstract The authors have examined the characteristics of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), which made landfall on the coast of the Philippines on November 2013, generating a substantial storm surge. In order to better understand the storm surge phenomenon, its nature and severity were analysed by means of a numerical simulation and a field survey. Unlike most other tropical cyclones that weaken before they hit land, Haiyan struck Leyte Island at near peak strength, with maximum sustained wind speeds of

Abstract. Even though the maximum wind radius (Rmax) is an important parameter in determining the intensity and size of tropical cyclones, it has been overlooked in previous storm surge studies. This study reviews the existing estimation methods for Rmax based on central pressure or maximum wind speed. These over- or underestimate Rmax because of substantial variations in the data, although an average radius can be estimated with moderate accuracy. As an alternative, we propose an Rmax estimatio

We investigated differences in the five currently-available datasets of column-integrated CO2 concentrations () retrieved from spectral soundings collected by Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) and assessed their impact on regional CO2 flux estimates. We did so by estimating the fluxes from each of the five datasets combined with surface-based CO2 data, using a single inversion system. The five datasets are available in raw and bias-corrected versions, and we found that the bias correc

Jakarta has been experiencing severe land subsidence over the last few decades. A questionnaire survey of local inhabitants revealed that seawater is already overtopping coastal dykes and flooding a vulnerable community along Jakarta’s waterfront. The present study projects coastal floods around Jakarta until the year 2050 to understand the long term effectiveness of proposed dykes under continuing rapid land subsidence scenarios. This is done through a hydrodynamic model that considers land sub

The present paper demonstrates that inundation levels in the Mekong Delta’s largest city, Can Tho, are predominantly determined by ocean tides, sea-level rise, and land subsidence. Our analysis of inundation patterns projects that the duration of inundation at an important road in the city will continue to rise from the current total of 72 inundated days per year to 270 days by 2030 and 365 days by 2050. This is attributed to the combined influence of sea-level rise and land subsidence, which ca

Mangrove forests are expected to act as green infrastructure against coastal hazards. However, mangroves cannot grow along urban coasts where the water is too deep and the wave is too high. This paper conceptualizes a new disaster countermeasure, coined as “adaptive mangrove hybrid platform,” which provides a solution to achieve ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) in urban areas; particularly, those in developing countries. The proposed concept is a hybrid solution, starting from a

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami caused devastation all along the coast of eastern Japan. Ishinomaki City was one of the most severely damaged municipalities, though the height of the tsunami in this city was smaller than that in Iwate and northern Miyagi. A large difference in the extent of building damage was found comparing two areas of Ishinomaki: one not protected by breakwaters, and the other behind the breakwaters of a large Fishery port. In this paper, the authors perform