Verification of sediment transport rate parameter on cross-shore sediment transport analysis

The sediment transport parameter helps determining the amount of sediment transport in cross-shore direction. The sediment transport parameter therefore, should represent the effect of necessary environmental factors involved in cross-shore beach profile formation. However, all the previous studies carried out for defining shape parameter consider the parameter as a calibration value. The aim of this study is to add the effect of wave climate and grain size characteristics in the definition of transport rate parameter and thus witness their influence on the parameter. This is achieved by taking the difference in between “the equilibrium wave energy dissipation rate” and “the wave energy dissipation rate” to generate a definition for the bulk of sediment, dislocating within a given time interval until the beach tends reach an equilibrium conditions. The result yields that empirical definition of transport rate parameter primarily governs the time response of the beach profile. Smaller transport rate value gives a longer elapsed time before equilibrium is attained on the beach profile. It is shown that any significant change in sediment diameter or wave climate proportionally increases the value of the shape parameter. However, the effect of change in wave height or period on sediment transport parameter is not as credit to as mean sediment characteristics.     

Water surface resonance in the L-shaped channel of seawater exchange breakwater

The resonance period of the L-shaped channel in the caisson is predicted analytically for the seawater exchange breakwater of “Applicability Study of the Seawater Exchange Breakwater (1). Korea Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (in Korean) (1999a)”. Hydraulic experiments are conducted for a composite breakwater with a rear reservoir that is one of the seawater exchange breakwaters developed by them. For regular waves, the water surface elevation in the channel and the flow rate through the breakwater are measured. For irregular waves, the flow rate through the breakwater and the reflection coefficient on the breakwater are measured. The resonant maximum values in both the surface elevation and the flow rate, and the resonant minimum values in the reflection coefficient are all at wave periods slightly longer than analytically predicted ones. The measured resonance period for irregular waves is closer to the predicted one than for regular waves. If the resonance period of the L-shaped channel is fitted to the dominant period of incident waves, there would be high efficiency of seawater exchange between inside and outside the harbor.     

Steepness and asymmetry of extreme waves and the highest waves in deep water

Traditional wave steepness s=H/L does not define steep asymmetric waves in a random sea uniquey. Three additional parameters characterising single zero-downcross waves in a time series are crest front steepness, vertical asymmetry factor and horizontal asymmetry factor. Results for steepness and asymmetry from zero-downcross analysis of wave data obtained from full scale measurements in deep water on the Norwegian continental shelf in 58 time series are presented. The analysis demonstrates clearly the asymmetry of both “extreme waves” and the highest waves. The period and height of the highest waves are also given together with their correlation to spectral parameters. The measured maximum wave heights are also compared with predicted values of maximum wave heights showing good agreement.     

The BCI criterion for the initiation of breaking process in Boussinesq-type equations wave models

The Breaking Celerity Index (BCI) is proposed as a new wave breaking criterion for Boussinesq-type equations wave propagation models (BTE).The BCI effectiveness in determining the breaking initiation location has been verified against data from different experimental investigations conducted with incident regular and irregular waves propagating along uniform slope [Utku, M. (1999). “The Relative Trough Froude Number. A New Criteria for Wave Breaking”. Ph.D. Dissertation, Dept. of Civil and Enviromental Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA; Gonsalves Veloso dos Reis, M.T.L. (1992). “Characteristics of waves in the surf zone”. MS Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Liverpool., Liverpool; Lara, J.L., Losada, I.J., and Liu, P.L.-F. (2006). “Breaking waves over a mild gravel slope: experimental and numerical analysis”. Journal of Geophysical Research, VOL 111, C11019] and barred beaches [Tomasicchio, G.R., and Sancho, F. (2002). “On wave induced undertow at a barred beach”. Proceedings of 28th International Conference on Coastal Engineering, ASCE, New York, 557–569]. The considered experiments were carried out in small-scale and large-scale facilities. In addition, one set of data has been obtained by the use of the COBRAS model based upon the Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) equations [Liu, P.L.-F., Lin, P., Hsu, T., Chang, K., Losada, I.J., Vidal, C., and Sakakiyama, T. (2000). “A Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equation model for nonlinear water wave and structure interactions”. Proceedings of Coastal Structures ‘99, Balkema, Rotterdam, 169–174; Losada, I.J., Lara, J.L., and Liu, P.L.-F. (2005). “Numerical simulation based on a RANS model of wave groups on an impermeable slope”. Proceedings of Fifth International Symposium WAVES 2005, Madrid].Numerical simulations have been performed with the 1D-FUNWAVE model [Kirby, J.T., Wei, G., Chen, Q., Kennedy, A.B., and Dalrymple, R.A. (1998). “FUNWAVE 1.0 Fully Nonlinear Boussinesq Wave Model Documentation and User's Manual”. Research Report No CACR-98-06, Center for Applied Coastal Research, University of Delaware, Newark]. With regard to the adopted experimental conditions, the breaking location has been calculated for different trigger mechanisms [Zelt, J.A. (1991). “The run-up of nonbreaking and breaking solitary waves”. Coastal Engineering, 15, 205–246; Kennedy, A.B., Chen, Q., Kirby, J.T., and Dalrymple, R.A. (2000). “Boussinesq modeling of wave transformation, breaking and run-up. I: 1D”. Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Engineering, 126, 39–47; Utku, M., and Basco, D.R. (2002). “A new criteria for wave breaking based on the Relative Trough Froude Number”. Proceedings of 28th International Conference on Coastal Engineering, ASCE, New York, 258–268] including the proposed BCI.The calculations have shown that BCI gives a better agreement with the physical data with respect to the other trigger criteria, both for spilling and plunging breaking events, with a not negligible reduction of the calculation time.     

A novel technique in analyzing non-linear wave-wave interaction

During wave growth non-linear wave–wave interactions cause transfer of some wave energy from lower to higher wave periods as the spectrum grows. Wavelet bicoherence, which is a new technique in the analysis of wind–wave and wave–wave interactions, is used to analyze non-linear wave–wave interactions. A selected record of wind wave that contains the maximum wave height observed during 6 h of wave generation is divided into five segments and wavelet bicoherence is computed for the whole record, and for all divided segments. The study shows that the non-linear wave–wave interaction occurs at different bicoherence levels and these levels are different from one segment to another due to the non-stationarity feature of the examined data set.     

Seakeeping performance of a containment boom section in random waves and currents

The seakeeping characteristics of various boom geometries in irregular waves and currents are investigated. The response of a floating boom section on the open sea is a function of a number of parameters, such as boom geometry, distribution of mass, buoyancy/weight ratio, and wave and current characteristics. To understand the relationship between these design parameters more clearly, a series of regular and irregular wave tests were conducted with six different 1:4 scale models for three current velocities and six different wave conditions. To simplify the problem, only rigid boom sections consisting of a buoyancy cylinder and vertical skirt were used. In parallel with this experimental program, a numerical model for the responses of two-dimensional floating boom sections in small-amplitude waves is also developed. The numerical results are compared with our large-scale experimental results. The boom effectiveness on the open sea is evaluated based on the concept of “effective draft” and “effective freeboard” assuming that drainage and oversplashing failures are the prime mechanisms of containment failure. Using the present results, a guideline for the optimum design/selection of future booms is developed.     

A discus-hulled wave measuring buoy

Described herein is a self-contained, discus-hulled buoy 1.5 m dia., weighing 150 kg, which uses inertial instruments to measure wave height and tilt. Wave tank calibration and the theory of shallow draft buoys demonstrate such a hull accurately follows waves with length greater than twice the buoy diameter. The non-linear response of the buoy determines its sensitivity to low-frequency waves in a sea. And the ratio of wave signal to instrument “noise” is constant over the energetic part of the ocean-wave spectrum for measurements of wave acceleration and slope.     

Chromium(VI) distributions in the Arctic and the Atlantic Oceans and a reassessment of the oceanic Cr cycle

Chromium(VI) concentrations ranging between 3.0 and 6.1 nmol l⁻¹ and 3.1 and 7.3 nmol l⁻¹ were found in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, respectively. The vertical profiles show modest depletion of chromium(VI) in surface waters, but poor overall correlations between Cr(VI) and nutrient profiles. Given that Cr(VI) is the dominant oxidation state of chromium in open-ocean waters, these data are combined with literature data to reassess the distribution of Cr in oceanic waters. It is concluded that while Cr shows some characteristics of both “recycled” and “accumulated” vertical profiles, it does not fall clearly within either group.     

Alternative placement technique for antifer blocks used on breakwaters

In this study, a placement technique named as “alternative placement technique” was developed for antifer blocks and the results of its application to a breakwater model were presented. This placement technique was compared with the existing techniques such as the “regular placement technique”, the “irregular placement technique” and the “sloped wall placement technique” by experiments. The comparison was carried out considering armor layer stability, prototype placement, clarity of the placement technique’s definition, armor layer cost, and wave runup. As a result of this investigation the “alternative placement technique” was found to be superior to the other existing placement techniques.     

Tracking the last sea-level cycle: seafloor morphology and shallow stratigraphy of the latest Quaternary New Jersey middle continental shelf

Seafloor geomorphology and surficial stratigraphy of the New Jersey middle continental shelf provide a detailed record of sea-level change during the last advance and retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet (120 kyr B.P. to Present). A NW–SE-oriented corridor on the middle shelf between water depths of 40 m (the mid-shelf “paleo-shore”) and 100 m (the Franklin “paleo-shore”) encompasses 500 line-km of 2D Huntec boomer profiles (500–3500 Hz), an embedded 4.6 km² 3D volume, and a 490 km² swath bathymetry map. We use these data to develop a relative stratigraphy. Core samples from published studies also provide some chronological and sedimentological constraints on the upper <5 m of the stratigraphic succession.The following stratigraphic units and surfaces occur (from bottom to top): (1) “R”, a high-amplitude reflection that separates sediment >46.5 kyr old (by AMS ¹⁴C dating) from overlying sediment wedges; (2) the outer shelf wedge, a marine unit up to 50 m thick that onlaps “R”; (3) “Channels”, a reflection sub-parallel to the seafloor that incises “R”, and appears as a dendritic system of channels in map view; (4) “Channels” fill, the upper portion of which is sampled and known to represent deepening-upward marine sediments 12.3 kyr in age; (5) the “T” horizon, a seismically discontinuous surface that caps “Channels” fill; (6) oblique ridge deposits, coarse-grained shelly units comprised of km-scale, shallow shelf bedforms; and (7) ribbon-floored swales, bathymetric depressions parallel to modern shelf currents that truncate the oblique ridges and cut into surficial deposits.We interpret this succession of features in light of a global eustatic sea-level curve and the consequent migration of the coastline across the middle shelf during the last 120 kyr. The morphology of the New Jersey middle shelf shows a discrete sequence of stratigraphic elements, and reflects the pulsed episodicity of the last sea-level cycle. “R” is a complicated marine/non-marine erosional surface formed during the last regression, while the outer shelf wedge represents a shelf wedge emplaced during a minor glacial retreat before maximum Wisconsin lowstand (i.e., marine oxygen isotope stage 3.1). “Channels” is a widespread fluvial subarial erosion surface formed at the late Wisconsin glacial maximum 22 kyr B.P. The shoreline migrated back across the mid-shelf corridor non-uniformly during the period represented by “Channels” fill. Oblique ridges are relict features on the New Jersey middle shelf, while the ribbon-floored swales represent modern shelf erosion. There is no systematic relationship between modern seafloor morphology and the very shallowly buried stratigraphic succession.     

Sheet flow and suspension of sand in oscillatory boundary layers

after revisionTime-dependent measurements of flow velocities and sediment concentrations were conducted in a large oscillating water tunnel. The measurements were aimed at the flow and sediment dynamics in and above an oscillatory boundary layer in plane bed and sheet-flow conditions. Two asymmetric waves and one sinusoidal wave were imposed using quartz sand with D₅₀ = 0.21 mm. A new electro-resistance probe with a large resolving power was developed for the measurement of the large sediment concentrations in the sheet-flow layer. The measurements revealed a three layer transport system consisting of a pick-up/deposition layer, an upper sheet flow layer and a suspension layer.In the asymmetric wave cases the total net transport was directed “onshore” and was mainly concentrated in the thin sheet flow layer (< 0.5 cm) at the bed. A small net sediment flux was directed “offhore” in the upper suspension layer. The measured flow velocities, sediment concentrations and sedimenl fluxes showed a good qualitative agreement with the results of a (numerical) 1DV boundary-layer flow and transport model. Although the model did not describe all the observed processes in the sheet-flow and suspension layer, the computational results showed a reasonable agreement with measured net transport rates in a wide range of asymmetric wave conditions.     

Transient effects in wave-current boundary layer flow

Previous studies of combined wave and current bottom boundary layer flow have concentrated on the final converged state of the flow following the addition of waves to a current. While this final state is of primary interest to modellers and engineers, it pre-supposes that such a state is actually attained in reality, and this may not always be the case. In addition, it overlooks the interesting and complicated transient effects which occur as a wave-current flow evolves from one state to another. The present study concentrates attention on the transient effects predicted by a “one-equation” turbulence closure model. Results of case studies are presented in which waves are superimposed co-linearly on a current (“forward problem”), and are then removed from the converged wave-current flow (“backward problem”). Two formulations of the “forward” and “backward” problems are discussed. In the first the steady component of the pressure gradient driving the mean flow is held constant throughout, and in the second the steady component of the mass flux is held constant. In each case the detailed evolution of the profiles of mean velocity, turbulent energy, mixing length, eddy viscosity and shear stress are discussed. More generally, the question of the convergence timescale of a combined wave-current flow is considered, and a convergence criterion is proposed.     

Towing dynamics of a liferaft and fast rescue craft in a surface wave

The equations of motion for the coupled dynamics of a small liferaft and fast rescue craft in a surface wave are formulated in two dimensions using the methods of Kane and Levinson [1985. Dynamics: Theory and Applications. McGraw-Hill Inc., New York]. It is assumed that the motion normal to the wave surface is small and can be neglected, i.e. the bodies move along the propagating wave profile. The bodies are small so that wave diffraction and reflection are negligible. A Stokes second order wave is used and the wave forces are applied using Morison's equation for a body in accelerated flow. Wind loads are similarly modelled using drag coefficients. The equations are solved numerically using the Runge–Kutta routine “ode45” of MATLAB^®. The numerical model provides guidelines for predicting the tow loads and motions of small craft in severe sea states.     

A rapid method for recovery of data from expendable surface current probes

A sighting device, called a “probe sight”, is described which simplifies the measurement, taken, from a helicopter, of the float separations from a deployed expendable surface current probe. The separation distance between the floats (along with a known time release) is a measure of the surface current speed. The sighting device can be used at any altitude. Comparisons of the readings using the probe sight and the “normal” measurements taken from aerial photographs for 180 stations in the Chukchi Sea, show that the difference between the two methods is less than 10% when the current speed is greater than 10 cm sec⁻¹. The largest difference (15%) occurs at those stations where the current speed is less than 10 cm sec⁻¹.     

A new model for surface wave propagation over undulating topography

A new model is presented for the propagation of monochromatic surface waves over a region of arbitrary, one-dimensional bottom topography. The smoothly varying bed profile is divided into a series of shelves separated by abrupt steps. The wave fields on either side of each step are related by a “transfer matrix”, and the propagation of waves along the shelf between adjacent steps is described by a “rotation matrix”. Starting from a point where the surface wavefield is known, the step by step application of the appropriate combination of these matrices allows computation of the wavefield over the region of interest. If the individual steps are small then the transfer matrix reduces to a simpler plane-wave form, with considerable savings in computational effort. Comparisons are made with an exact potential solution for single and double steps in order to investigate the accuracy and validity of the matrix method. Finally, the model is applied to the case of wave reflection by fixed sinusoidal bottom undulations, and good agreement is found between its predictions and existing laboratory data.     

Stochastic time-series simulation of wave parameters using ship observations

A stochastic simulation technique was used with ship wave observations, which form the largest world-wide data base of wave information. Twenty years of wave parameter (height, period, and direction) observations from the Comprehensive Ocean–Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) were used as the input data. Simulations were compared to four years of wave parameters from a National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) data buoy near Monterey Bay, CA. The comparisons are satisfactory with differences mainly caused by biases between ship observations and buoy data. The stochastic simulation technique is attractive because it is computationally efficient and few decisions are required for its application. The applied techniques can be employed with global COADS data to simulate wave conditions at many world-wide locations where measurements and hindcasts by computer models do not exist.     

Evaluating the structural condition of synthetic and metallic cables

In view of the fact that mechanical cables are very popular and powerful structural members, methods that provide information concerning their “health” are anxiously needed. In general, and because of their extended length (a rope used in a gold mine in South Africa is 9.3 miles long), methods which inspect the cable as a continuous function of the length variable are very expensive and time-consuming. The present paper surveys the state-of-the-art and discusses limitations and advantages of the techniques available today, the most recent one being the “induced, transverse wave propagation method”.     

Nocdap results: On the relationship of extreme waves and currents for design of offshore structures

Simultaneous wind, wave, and current data during 21 storms spanning four winters at Tromsøflaket (230 m depth) were analysed to determine joint probabilities of occurrence. Waves were measured with a Waverider Buoy, winds with a recording anemometer onboard a vessel and currents at up to five depths with Aandera RCM-4 current meters. Measured currents were filtered to separate tidal currents from residual currents. In most of the statistical analyses, the actual current profiles were replaced with a simplified “equivalent” profile (constant above 50 m depth) whose magnitude was chosen to give the same drag load on a single pile as the actual profile when both profiles were combined with wave orbital velocities. The data suggest that the equivalent current is weakly correlated with the wave height. Within the range of the data analysed, an in-line equivalent residual current of 30 cm sec⁻¹ is adequate for design drag force calculations.The data presented here are used to illustrate a procedure for data analysis and are not suitable for use as design criteria.