Research
Coastal Environmental Prediction
Outlook
- Decreased duration and extent of ice cover as air and water temperatures rise.
Impacts
- Lake–effect snow events are likely to increase, creating more hazards and increasing
the burden and cost of removing large amounts of snow
Forecasts
- Offshore Wave Heights
- Coastal Erosion
- Rip Currents
- Near shore Wave Heights and Condition
- Ice Thickness and Extent
- Spill/search and Rescue
- Storm Surge
- Offshore Currents
- Lake Level Forecast
Projects
- Overlake Wind
Events on Lake Erie: This project will be a contribution to the
integrated exploratory research focused on Lake Erie. It will use existing meteorological
data to find correlation of wind forcing events on Lake Erie to such factors as cyclone tracks
through the region and upper-level flow patterns.
P.I: Brent Lofgren
- Great Lakes Ice Cycle: The goals of this project are to document and analyze
lake ice cycles for climate and climate change, lake hydrology, lake ecosystems, and ice
modeling and forecasting applications, and to provide ice cover information useful for
placing the ice cover of the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond into a historical perspective.
P.I: Thomas Croley
- Improved Great Lakes
Ice Cover Climatology: The products of this research include
over 1,200 electronic ice charts spanning the 1973 to 2002 winter seasons, computer animations of
ice cover for each winter season, and statistical analysis of ice cover. P.I:
Thomas Croley
- Great Lakes Ice
Thickness Data Rescue: P.I:
Raymond Assel *
- Recent Lake
Levels and Precipitation in Historical Perspective: P.I:
Raymond Assel*
- Real-time
Environmental Coastal Observations Network Project: The goal of the RECON
project is to develop a national network of low cost coastal buoys capable of seabed to sea-surface
observations. The project is making relevant data accessible to the public and educational
institutions through a web-based data interface P.I(S):
Steven Ruberg and
Stephen Brandt
- Real-time
Meteorological Observation Network: GLERL established and maintains a network
of five real-time meteorological stations at exposed coastal sites around southern Lake Michigan:
Chicago, Milwaukee, Kenosha, Saugatuck and Michigan City. GLERL makes observations from these stations
available to NWS forecast offices at Milwaukee, Chicago, and Grand Rapids in real-time. P.I:
Steven Ruberg
- CoastWatch
: The CoastWatch node at GLERL provides clients including Federal, state,
and local agencies, academic institutions, commercial/industries and the public, both within and
outside of the Great Lakes region, with access to near real-time satellite observations and in-situ
data for the Great Lakes. CoastWatch data are used in a variety of ways, including near real-time
observation and tracking of algal blooms, plumes, ice cover, wind, water intake temperatures at fish
hatcheries, two and three dimensional modeling of Great Lakes physical parameters such as wave height
and currents damage assessment modeling, research, and educational and recreational activities.
In addition, through a cooperative project with Michigan Sea Grant, Great Lakes CoastWatch
satellite-derived surface temperature imagery is contoured and made available via Michigan
State Sea Grant’s web site. Great Lakes CoastWatch data and products benefit riparians as
well as commercial and recreational users.
