UFC 4-150-06
12 December 2001
2-3
METEOROLOGY AND WAVE CLIMATE. A basic understanding of
marine and coastal meteorology and the relationship between meteorological
processes and wave generation is important to coastal design and planning. Section II-
2 of the CEM contains an analysis of this subject.
2-4
ESTIMATION OF NEARSHORE WAVES. The size and directions of
nearshore waves that impact coastal design are strongly influenced by underlying
of a project, underestimating can result in catastrophic loss. Section II-3 of the CEM
evaluates wave transformation analyses methods and provides guidance for selecting a
reasonable approach for making wave transformation calculations.
2-5
SURF ZONE HYDRODYNAMICS. Breaking waves, and the resulting
dissipation of energy, induce nearshore currents and other hydrodynamic processes
that make the surf zone the most dynamic coastal region. Section II-4 of the CEM
describes shallow-water wave breaking and associated hydrodynamic processes that
affect shoreline and beach profile, which impact the design of coastal structures and
beach fills.
2-5.1
Coastal Bottom Boundary Layers. The severe interaction between the
slowly varying current boundary layer and the turbulent wave bottom boundary layer
during severe storm events plays a significant role in sediment transport. This
interaction, which occurs primarily in the area just outside the surf zone, in water depth
ranging between 2 or 3 m (6.6 to 9.8 ft) up to 20 to 30 m (65.6 to 98.4 ft), affects
sediment that is not usually suspended under normal wave conditions. The fate of the
sediments in this zone is a complex question for coastal engineers. The factors and
complexities that make analysis of this activity so difficult are discussed in Section III-6
of the CEM. An extensive analysis of this process is contained in Coastal Bottom
Boundary Layers and Sediment Transport by Peter Nielsen.
2-6
WATER LEVELS AND LONG WAVES. A significant component of
coastal design is protection of structures from some predefined water surface elevation.
The following sections, the scope of which is summarized in Section II-5, of the CEM,
classify the various types of surface elevation variation generated by long waves and
guidance for developing a preliminary study approach and applicable design procedure.
A discussion of the geological effects of wave action is contained in Section IV-2 of the
CEM.
2-6.1
Water Wave Classification. Section II-5-2 of the CEM gives a brief
review of wave classification criteria and a summary of long wave properties.
2-6.2
Astronomical Tides. Astronomical tides represent an important example
of long waves. Section II-5-3 of the CEM describes tidal processes and effects.
2-6.3
Water Surface Elevation Datums. Section II-5-4 of the CEM describes
the various means of defining water surface elevation datums and the relationship
between tidal observation-based datums, which account for spatial variability of sea
2-2
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