Published on: 2006-08-01
Estimated time to complete: 1.00 - 1.25 h
Includes audio: yes
Topic Area(s)
Coastal Weather
Oceanography/Marine/Tsunami
Description:
This is the fourth lesson in our series on open water waves. As deep-water
waves approach the coastline, they encounter shallower water and begin to
interact with the sea floor while evolving into shallow water waves. This
lesson uses an interactive wave calculator to look at a variety of shallow-water wave behaviors, including shoaling, refraction, reflection, breaking, attenuation, and coastal run-up and set-up. All are important considerations when forecasting for small craft and other recreational interests in the near-shore environment.
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, you will have learned:
- Transformations of waves as they move from deep water into shallow water
- How to describe and predict the effects of shallow-water processes such as shoaling, refraction, and attenuation
- How to identify and distinguish between the various breaker types, matching them with their corresponding bathymetry
- How to predict the effects of interactions between waves and currents
- The difference between wave run-up and set-up, and how to estimate them
Keywords
Marine, Shallow Water Waves, Waves, Shoaling, Refraction, Breaking Waves, plunging, spilling, surging, calculator, transition, wavelength, damping, current, set-up, run-up, coastal effects, reflection, attenuation, nomogram, group velocity, wave height, wave period,