The statistical distribution of nearbed wave orbital velocity in intermediate coastal water depth

Abstract

The statistical distribution of wave orbital velocity in intermediate coastal water depth has been quantitatively determined from the comprehensive field velocity data collected near the seabed in this study. Two ocean ADV current meters, which were mounted at 0.5 m above the seabed on two separate stainless steel tripods sitting on the seabed, were used to measure instantaneous water particle velocities at a 2 Hz sampling rate for 17.07 min every hour in two coastal water depths of 11 m and 23 m in nine field deployments over a period of 2 years. The zero-crossing method is applied to analyse the field velocity data collected in each field deployment to obtain a large sample of wave orbital velocity amplitudes of individual waves. Based on the collected field velocity data, it is found that the histogram of instantaneous wave orbital velocities perfectly follows the Gaussian distribution as commonly assumed, while the histogram of wave orbital velocity amplitudes is less accurately described by the Rayleigh distribution than the modified Rayleigh and the Weibull distribution. It is also found that large orbital velocity amplitudes are generally overestimated by the Rayleigh distribution, but well predicted by the modified Rayleigh and the Weibull distribution. The expected value of maximum orbital velocity in a velocity record of finite size is also derived from the three distributions and found to agree well with the present field data.