Wave Transformation at Grays Harbor, WA with Strong Currents and Large Tide Range

Wave propagation through an inlet entrance with strong currents and large changes in water level was examined through field measurements and numerical simulations of wave transformation. Extensive field data collection conducted at Grays Harbor, Washington for a 2-month period in 1999 included currents through the water column and directional waves at six locations through the inlet entrance. These data allowed examination of the range of wave conditions that occur, the attenuation of waves through the entrance, and the transformation of waves on a current. One-hundred eighty wave conditions were simulated to represent the entire wave climate and repeated at mean high water, mean low water, with an ebb current, and with a flood current. Thus, the control of water level variation and current on wave transformation through an inlet entrance could be examined quantitatively for a wide range of conditions.