Study of Wind Waves in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
Publication: Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 122, Issue 5
Abstract
This study describes a field experiment on wind waves in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Wind-wave height and period were measured at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas and compared to hindcast results generated by the wind-wave model for restricted fetches in the Automated Coastal Engineering System. The comparisons showed that the present technology did not predict the measurements well. The restricted fetch method showed a tendency to overpredict waves when the wind was blowing along the channel and underpredict waves when the wind was blowing across the channel. The poor performance of the restricted fetch model in long, narrow channels was attributed to the measured data being far outside the bounds of the data used to develop the model (fetch width-to-length ratio, as well as wave height and period). It was shown that wave damping could reduce wave heights for along-channel winds. Analysis of an elliptical fetch suggested that fetch width-to-length ratio is an important variable. Because this parameter is not included in the wave-prediction equations, the formulas should only be applied to water bodies similar in width-to-length ratio to those used to develop the model.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Automated coastal engineering system (ACES), version 1.07b. (1993). Coast. Engrg. Res. Ctr., U.S. Army Engr. Wtrwy. Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss.
2.
Bishop, C. T.(1983). “Comparison of manual wave prediction models.”J. of Wtrwy., Port, Coast. and Oc. Engrg., ASCE, 109(1), 1–17.
3.
Donelan, M. A. (1980). “Similarity theory applied to the forecasting of wave heights, periods, and directions.”Proc., Can. Coast. Conf., Nat. Res. Council, Canada, 47–61.
4.
Hasselmann, K. et al. (1973). “Measurements of wind-wave growth and swell decay during the Joint North Sea Wave Project (JONSWAP).”Deutschen Hydrographischen Zeitschrift, Supplement A, 8(12).
5.
Nelson, E. E., and Broderick, L. L. (1986). “Floating breakwater prototype test program: Seattle Washington.”Miscellaneous Paper CERC-86-3, U.S. Army Engr. Wtrwy. Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss.
6.
Saville, T. (1954). “The effect of fetch width on wave generation.”Tech. Memo. 70, Beach Erosion Board, Washington, D.C.
7.
Shore protection manual. (1984). Coast. Engrg. Res. Ctr., U.S. Army Engr. Wtrwy. Experiment Station, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
8.
Smith, J. M. (1991). “Wind-wave generation on restricted fetches.”Miscellaneous Paper CERC-91-2, Coast. Engrg. Res. Ctr., U.S. Army Engr. Wtrwy. Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss.
9.
Ursell, F. (1952). “Edge waves on a sloping beach.”Proc., Royal Soc., London, England, A214, 79–97.
10.
“Waves in inland reservoirs (summary report on Civil Works Investigation Projects CW-164 and CE-165).” (1962). Tech. Memo. 132, U.S. Army Corps of Engrs., Beach Erosion Board, Washington, D.C.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Sep 1, 1996
Published in print: Sep 1996
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.