Spatial Characteristics and Duration of Extreme Wave Events around the English Coastline

Thomas Dhoop,Travis Mason

doi:10.3390/jmse6010014

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the spatial characteristics and duration of extreme wave events around the English coast. There are five geographic regions which are affected as coherent units under extreme wave conditions, incorporating a sixth micro-wave climate region (western Lyme Bay). Characteristic storm tracks are associated with each region. Storms affecting the East region (North Sea coast) seldom impact other areas of England, whilst in contrast, storms affecting the Southwest or Northwest also have some impact on the Southeast. Average storm duration varies from 5 h in the Northwest to 14 h on the East coast north of the Humber. Storm duration exceeding 12.5 h in the Southwest and East (northern half) near guarantees that storm waves will span High Water, when it is of most significance for beach management operations. Storms along the East coast can be associated with anticyclonic conditions, as well as low pressure systems.

Highlights

Waves, when they coincide with high water levels, can cause beach erosion and damage to coastal structures and defenses, leading to social, economic, and environmental consequences [1], including danger to public safety [2]
The results indicated that the coastline of England can be partitioned into five discrete coastal regions, each of which is impacted as a relatively coherent unit:
The regional partitioning defined here followed the overall pattern of regions identified by Malagon Santos et al [7] for the UK coastline, other than for the Southwest Peninsula

Summary

Introduction

When they coincide with high water levels, can cause beach erosion and damage to coastal structures and defenses, leading to social, economic, and environmental consequences [1], including danger to public safety [2]. Studies of storm tides have demonstrated that impacts from coastal processes under extreme conditions vary considerably along coastlines [3,4,5,6], while, more recently, a similar argument was made for the spatial variability of wave extremes and their relevance for the management of coastal hazards [7]. As yet, there has been no multi-site study that compares the duration of extreme wave events for different parts of the English coastline, despite being of particular interest for operational beach management. The large spatial footprint and long duration of some of the events discussed in this paper can present important financial and practical considerations for flood management, the insurance sector, infrastructure reliability, and emergency response [19].

Methods

Results

Conclusion