Wave Prediction in Shallow Water

Abstract

Prediction of wave conditions in shallow water has received increased emphasis in both the scientific and engineering communities in recent years. The scientific interest in the problem of shallow-water wave prediction has increased because of generally increased knowledge about wave generation, improved meteorological and oceano-graphical database and the availability of bigger and better computer facilities to handle the mathematical and numerical aspects of the problem. Increased marine activities, particularly in areas of offshore exploration and coastal development has created a need for improved knowledge of sea-state conditions in the nearshore regions. As a result, a substantial amount of research and developmental work on shallow-water wave modelling and prediction has been initiated in recent years. In the following section, a brief review of early work on wave analysis and prediction in shallow water is presented; this is followed by a review of more recent studies, particularly those based on a spectral approach. The last section discusses inclusion of shallow-water effects in operational wave analysis and prediction.