Wave height

About: Wave height is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 5920 publications have been published within this topic receiving 100257 citations.

Thresholds for morphological changes on an exposed sandy beach as a function of wave height

Abstract: A sandy beach in the south of Portugal (Faro beach, Ria Formosa) was surveyed from the dune crest seaward to 15 m depth 20 times over a period of 26 months. Wave time-series between surveys were analysed to obtain relationships between wave height and vertical profile variations and to define wave thresholds for important morphological changes. Results show that the active zone of the profile lies between 5 m above and 10·4 m below mean sea level, and that there are clear cross-shore differences in the vertical variability of the profile. Based on the pattern of vertical variability, the profile was divided into four cross-shore sectors: A (berm), 20–80 m from the profile origin; B (sub-tidal terrace), 80–170 m; C (long-shore bar), 170–360 m; and D, 360–700 m. The relationship between the modulus of the maximum vertical change in each sector and the 99th percentile of significant wave height between surveys was always significant. Calculated thresholds for significant wave height generating important morphological changes were 2·3 m in sector A, 3·2 m in sectors B and C, and 4·1 m in sector D. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Numerical prediction of solitary wave forces on a typical coastal bridge deck with girders

Abstract: In this study, a numerical method for predicting solitary wave forces on a typical coastal bridge deck with girders is utilised in order to obtain an alternative way to assess solitary wave forces on coastal bridge decks with sufficient accuracy. Firstly, a wave model based on the solitary wave theory representing the incident wave of tsunamis is applied through a computational fluid dynamics computer program, where the shear stress transport k-ω model is adopted as the turbulent closure for the Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes model equations. Then, the numerical wave profiles and the predicted wave forces are compared with the analytical solutions and the reported laboratory measurements, respectively. These verifications assure the results in the following parametric study reliable. Finally, comparisons between the numerical results and those acquired through the empirical methods are conducted in order to examine the appropriateness of these empirical procedures regarding this specific case. Fu...

Variability in spatial patterns of long nonlinear waves from fast ferries in Tallinn Bay

Abstract: . High-speed ferries are known to generate wakes with unusually long periods, and occasionally large amplitudes which may serve as a qualitatively new forcing factor in coastal regions that are not exposed to a sea swell. An intrinsic feature of such wakes is their large spatial variation. We analyze the variability of wake conditions for the coasts of Tallinn Bay, the Baltic Sea, a sea area with very intense fast ferry traffic. The modelled ship wave properties for several GPS-recorded ship tracks reasonably match the measured waves in terms of both wave heights and periods. It is shown that the spatial extent of the wake patterns is very sensitive to small variations in sailing conditions. This feature leads to large variations of ship wave loads at different coastal sections with several locations regularly receiving high ship wave energy. The runup of the largest ship wakes on the beach increases significantly with an increase in wave height whereas shorter (period