A Beach Probing System (BPS) for Determining Surf Zone Bathymetry, Currents, and Wave Heights from Measurements Offshore

Abstract

Our goal is to investigate, using both simulated and field data, the feasibility of using offshore measurements of the surface gravity wave field to remotely sense the inshore environment (hydrography, currents, and breakers. (1) To develop a data assimilation method (BPS model) for estimating the nearshore (shoreline to nominally 500m offshore) depth and alongshore-directed current profiles using offshore infragravity wave measurements. Extend the BPS model to estimate breaker type and surf zone width by assimilating wind-wave directional data. (2) To develop a self-powered, self-recording, GPS-clock-accurate sensor package suite of three-axis current, pressure, and orientation sensors integrated into a semi-automated, near-real-time data acquisition, quality control, and analysis system for measurements of: (a) wind waves (0.04 (b) infragravity waves (0.001 - 0.04 Hz). (3) To test and evaluate the BPS model with both simulated and field (collected by the new sensor packages) data.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 1998
Accession Number
ADA542197

Entities

People

  • Joan Oltman-shay

Organizations

  • Northwest Research Associates

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Bathymetry
  • Crystal Oscillators
  • Data Acquisition
  • Data Analysis
  • Data Fusion
  • Dispersion Relations
  • Field Tests
  • Hydrography
  • Measurement
  • Offshore
  • Quality Control
  • Regions
  • Secondary Waves
  • Shores
  • System Software
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Coastal Oceanography
  • Inertial Navigation Systems.

Technology Areas

  • Space