Estimating wave crest distributions using the method of L-moments

The design of fixed or floating offshore structures requires accurate information of the met-ocean data at the intended offshore site. In the design process it is recognized that this environmental data is modified in the near-field by the interaction with the particular geometrical configuration of the offshore structure. This transformation of the incident wave field around and beneath an offshore structure presents a challenge for ocean engineers when specifying the wave gap elevation to avoid impact loads on the underside of the deck and inundation of the topsides. Thus, the accurate estimation of the wave crest distributions from measurements at various locations near and under the offshore structure during model test studies is essential. A semi-empirical approach is presented herein that builds upon the findings of previous studies and introduces the Method of L-moments. A three parameter model for a wave crest probability distribution function is presented and explicit relationships between the parameters of the distribution and its’ first three L-Moments are established. Furthermore, three narrow-band models from earlier research studies are reviewed and compared with the new model. Wave measurements from a mini-TLP model test program are used as the basis for comparison of the four distributions. The root-mean-square error is used as a metric to quantify the overall fit of the data and its accuracy in the high end tail of the data. The L-Moment model is shown to be more robust in representing the data in both the far-field and beneath the deck of the mini-TLP where the wave field demonstrates increased non-linear behavior.     

Non-hydrostatic pressure in σ-coordinate ocean models

Numerical ocean modelling is computationally very demanding. Traditionally, the hydrostatic approximation has been applied to reduce the computational burden. This approximation is valid in large scale studies with coarse grid resolution. With faster computers and gradually smaller grid sizes, we may expect that more studies will be performed with non-hydrostatic ocean models. In recent papers several methods for including non-hydrostatic pressure in σ-coordinate models have been suggested. In this paper the sensitivity of the non-hydrostatic pressure field, the velocity fields, and the density fields to changes in the method for computing non-hydrostatic pressure in σ-coordinate ocean models is addressed.The first test case used involves the propagation and breaking of an internal wave at an incline in a tank. The other test case concerns tidally driven flow over a sill in a stratified fjord. The results from our numerical exercises suggest that the velocity and density fields are very robust to the model choices investigated here. The differences between the model results are of the same order as the uncertainty due to the internal pressure gradient error, and they are smaller than an estimate of the uncertainty due to subgrid scale closure.     

Dynamic Responses of Pontoons Connecting Process of Mobile Offshore Base

The dynamic responses of two pontoons while connected with each other in irregular waves are calculated by means of three-dimensional (3-D) potential flow theory.The computation is to find the optimal status for connection at a certain sea state.On the basis of the relative motion of two pontoons in irregular waves,Visual FORTRAN programming language,as well as OpenGL (Open Graphics Library),is used to develop a set of virtual reality system of the relative motion of two pontoons,which is fully interactive with realistic effect.The transfinite interpolation scheme is applied for the mesh generation of wave surface,and the wave motion is simulated by surface elevation and calculated by 3-D potential flow theory.     

Simulation of three-dimensional cohesive sediment transport in Hangzhou Bay, China

Sediment transport in the Hangzhou Bay is extremely complicated due to its bathymetry and hydrodynamic conditions. The ECOMSED model is employed to simulate three-dimensional (3-D) cohesive sediment transport in Hangzhou Bay. Dynamical factors such as Coriolis force, tides, salinity, river discharges, and waves are considered in the model. The wave parameters, including the significant wave height, period, and direction, are calculated with the SWAN model. The Grant-Madsen model is introduced for the bed shear stress due to the combined effect of waves and currents. The formulation of bed shear stress used to calculate the sink/source terms is modified based on previous research that sufficiently validated the formulation with measurement data. The integrated model of the above-mentioned models is applied to simulate sediment transport in Hangzhou Bay. The results of the simulation agree well with field observations concerning the distribution of suspended sediment, indicating that the sediments are remarkably suspended in Hangzhou Bay under the action of waves and currents.     

Estimation of near-field characteristics of tsunami generation by submarine landslide

Underwater landslide can trigger impulsive waves with high amplitude and run-up, which may cause substantial damage. In this work, the experimental investigations are performed to study the impulsive wave characteristics caused by underwater landslides. The effects of landslide geometry and kinematics on wave characteristics are studied by performing 84 laboratory experiments. The influences of thickness, volume and shape of failure mass on the characteristics of initial wave are discussed. The impacts of water body conditions such as the slope of sliding bed and the initial submergence of underwater landslide are also examined. The present experimental data as well as the available data in the literature are used to provide an applied method for prediction of the initial wave amplitude. The present prediction method is properly verified by several experimental, numerical and real case data.     

Propagation of a solitary wave over rigid porous beds

The unsteady two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations and Navier–Stokes type model equations for porous flows were solved numerically to simulate the propagation of a solitary wave over porous beds. The free surface boundary conditions and the interfacial boundary conditions between the water region and the porous bed are in complete form. The incoming waves were generated using a piston type wavemaker set up in the computational domain. Accuracy of the numerical model was verified by comparing the numerical results with the theoretical solutions. The main characteristics of the flow fields in both the water region and the porous bed were discussed by specifying the velocity fields. Behaviors of boundary layer flows in both fluid and porous bed regions were also revealed. Effects of different parameters on the wave height attenuation were studied and discussed. The results of this numerical model indicate that for the investigated incident wave as the ratio of the porous bed depth to the fluid depth exceeds 10, any further increase of the porous bed depth has no effect on wave height attenuation.     

Investigations of the bottom current sculpted margin of Hatton Bank, NE Atlantic

The northwest Hatton Bank margin is an ideal locality to demonstrate the interaction between bottom currents and slope configuration in controlling the distribution and morphology of bottom current deposits. The slope area investigated is isolated from any major terrigenous sediment supply and at present is influenced by the Deep Northern Boundary Current (DNBC). Swath bathymetry and high resolution acoustic data allow us to evaluate both local and regional controls on slope sedimentation and the possible mechanisms for bottom-current velocity variability across a slope setting within the NW European continental margin. The slope exhibits sculpting by bottom currents that flow in a predominantly southwest to northeast direction, and is only locally modified by slope failures. Positive relief features such as the Endymion Spur play an important role in constraining and accelerating bottom-current flow and, consequently, in redistributing sediment along the margin. We demonstrate that the size, morphology and distribution of bottom-current deposits along the slope vary as a function of the interaction between bottom currents, regional slope orientation and local seafloor topography.     

Impacts of Kelvin wave forcing in the Peru Humboldt Current system: Scenarios of spatial reorganizations from physics to fishers

Because climate change challenges the sustainability of important fish populations and the fisheries they support, we need to understand how large scale climatic forcing affects the functioning of marine ecosystems. In the Humboldt Current system (HCS), a main driver of climatic variability is coastally-trapped Kelvin waves (KWs), themselves originating as oceanic equatorial KWs. Here we (i) describe the spatial reorganizations of living organisms in the Humboldt coastal system as affected by oceanic KWs forcing, (ii) quantify the strength of the interactions between the physical and biological component dynamics of the system, (iii) formulate hypotheses on the processes which drive the redistributions of the organisms, and (iv) build scenarios of space occupation in the HCS under varying KW forcing. To address these questions we explore, through bivariate lagged correlations and multivariate statistics, the relationships between time series of oceanic KW amplitude (TAO mooring data and model-resolved baroclinic modes) and coastal Peruvian oceanographic data (SST, coastal upwelled waters extent), anchoveta spatial distribution (mean distance to the coast, spatial concentration of the biomass, mean depth of the schools), and fishing fleet statistics (trip duration, searching duration, number of fishing sets and catch per trip, features of the foraging trajectory as observed by satellite vessel monitoring system). Data sets span all or part of January 1983 to September 2006. The results show that the effects of oceanic KW forcing are significant in all the components of the coastal ecosystem, from oceanography to the behaviour of the top predators – fishers. This result provides evidence for a bottom-up transfer of the behaviours and spatial stucturing through the ecosystem. We propose that contrasting scenarios develop during the passage of upwelling versus downwelling KWs. From a predictive point of view, we show that KW amplitudes observed in the mid-Pacific can be used to forecast which system state will dominate the HCS over the next 2–6 months. Such predictions should be integrated in the Peruvian adaptive fishery management.     

Run-up of tsunamis and long waves in terms of surf-similarity

In this paper we review and re-examine the classical analytical solutions for run-up of periodic long waves on an infinitely long slope as well as on a finite slope attached to a flat bottom. Both cases provide simple expressions for the maximum run-up and the associated flow velocity in terms of the surf-similarity parameter and the amplitude to depth ratio determined at some offshore location. We use the analytical expressions to analyze the impact of tsunamis on beaches and relate the discussion to the recent Indian Ocean tsunami from December 26, 2004. An important conclusion is that extreme run-up combined with extreme flow velocities occurs for surf-similarity parameters of the order 3–6, and for typical tsunami wave periods this requires relatively mild beach slopes. Next, we compare the theoretical solutions to measured run-up of breaking and non-breaking irregular waves on steep impermeable slopes. For the non-breaking waves, the theoretical curves turn out to be superior to state-of-the-art empirical estimates. Finally, we compare the theoretical solutions with numerical results obtained with a high-order Boussinesq-type method, and generally obtain an excellent agreement.     

Derivation and application of new equations for radiation stress and volume flux

In this paper, new expressions of radiation stress and volume flux for long waves have been analytically derived by inclusion of higher-order surface elevations up to the sixth-order. To quantify these expressions, surface elevations along a beach are first simulated using the fully nonlinear Boussinesq-type model COULWAVE. Then, based on the large amount of numerical data, new equations for radiation stress and volume flux are statistically formulated. The research unveils the essential roles of the Ursell parameter, Irribarren number and wave steepness described by the local wave height, wave length and bottom slope. The study shows the importance of nonlinear wave properties in wave-induced currents and mean water levels (set-up/down). The higher-order formulations produce lower values for radiation stress and volume flux than calculated from the lower-order and linear waves. Case studies suggest that the new formulations produce an accurate estimation for mean water level. However, improvement on the computed current profiles is marginal for some cases. This implies that the accurate prediction of the current profile would require more than just the proposed improvement of the radiation stress and volume flux.