Why Are The Present Forecasting Methods Inadequate For the Texas Coast?
Water levels are typically predicted using tide tables computed based on the gravitational influence of celestial bodies (Harmonic Analysis). While this method of prediction is adequate for most coastlines, along the Gulf of Mexico meteorological effects can significantly influence the observed water level and make the tide tables ineffective. Although astronomical forcing is very predictable meteorological influences are not always periodic and are difficult to predict for periods longer than 1 or 2 days. The influence of meteorological effects, however, is frequently stronger than the influence from the celestial bodies. For example, the Corpus Christi, Texas, airport is ranked by the National Weather Service as the third windiest in the U.S. based on a multiannual average wind speed of 23.5 kph [NeuralNetReferences(Smith 1978)]. Until recently it was not possible to make accurate water level predictions for the Texas coast. This is because the present models do not include both mete
