Surface Wave Processes on the Continental Shelf and Beach
Abstract
There is a growing need for surface wave information on the continental shelf and beach to estimate sea state, and to provide input for models of currents, sediment transport, radar backscatter and aerosol generation. While surface wave spectra in the open ocean evolve slowly over distances of O(100-1000 km), wave properties on the continental shelf and beach are highly variable (typical length scales of 0.1-10 km) owing to a variety of topographic effects (e.g., shoaling, refraction, scattering) and strongly enhanced nonlinear interactions and dissipation. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a better understanding of the physical processes that affect the generation, propagation and dissipation of surface waves in shallow coastal waters, and improve the accuracy of models that predict the transformation of wave properties across the shelf and beach.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA612996
Entities
People
- Thomas H. Herbers
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School