EM 1110-2-1100 (Part II)
30 Apr 02
Figure II-3-14.
STWAVE results for CHL's Field Research Facility at Duck, NC
the final set to be studied. As an example, waves of a certain period or direction offshore may not propagate
to the site, and the engineer can thus ignore such wave conditions in a more detailed study.
(3) Some of the decisions and actions an engineer will need to make in performing a wave transformation
analysis follow.
b. Problem formulation. At the initiation of the study, the engineer should clearly understand what
wave information must be produced for the site, how it will be used, and the accuracy required. The engineer
should gather all pertinent bathymetry data, water level data, and nearby wave data. Aerial photography of
the site can be very useful by providing the engineer with indications of wave propagation patterns, areas of
offshore breaking, etc., that a transformation procedure should properly simulate. Short-term gauge records
can be used in checking the procedure. Again, a short-term gauging program is desirable.
c. Site analysis. The physical characteristics of the site and any ancillary information should be
carefully scrutinized so that the engineer can understand how irregular the bathymetry is, the presence of
significant currents, shoals, canyons, islands, structures, etc., that would be important in selecting the offshore
or nearby site for a source of data input, for selecting the transformation procedure used, and in understanding
what problems may arise in the analysis. Usually this type of knowledge is gained through experience, and
a consultant may be required to assist someone unexperienced in such analyses. If time permits, one of the
II-3-32
Estimation of Nearshore Waves
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