Changes In Wave Height Research Articles

The physical processes of sandy beach evolution under storm and non-storm wave conditions simulated in wave flume

Large waves and high water levels generated by coastal storms are predominant drivers for coastal beach erosion. This experimental study is undertaken to investigate the physical processes of beach profile evolution under storm waves by simulating step varying storm waves and variable water levels in a wave flume of 30 m long, 0.6 m wide and 1 m high and mild beach slope tanθ=1/10. The storm waves were simulated by following a conceptual storm hydrograph of three stages: at the first stage of 60 min both wave height and water level were gradually increased to peak storm wave height and water level, at the second stage of 60 min both maximum wave height and water level were kept for constant, and at the last stage of 60 min storm wave heights were gradually decreased to non-storm waves and water levels. Non-intrusive high-resolution cameras were used to record time-series of free surface water elevation, wave breaking point position, sandbar migration and location, and beach elevation profile in a spatial resolution of 1.4 mm and a temporal resolution of 0.1 s. In analyzing the collected experimental data, the physical processes of beach evolution under both non-storm and storm waves were found significantly different: under non-storm waves, the movement of sandbar always was found to be in the seaward direction, and the beach profile was eroded and accreted before and after the sandbar, respectively, but under storm waves, the sandbar location was found to migrate in either the landward or seaward direction, the beach profile was slowly accreted before the sandbar and eroded after the sandbar when the storm waves were gradually decreased to the non-storm waves. The surf zone is the main change area in beach morphology modification, and the sandbar is the important indicator for distinguishing the cross-shore sediment exchange. Under both non-storm and storm waves, large waves, high water levels, and especially great gradient of wave energy flux due to changes in wave height, period and water depth are the main factors controlling the formation and migration of sandbar, and resulting in beach erosion and accretion before and after the wave breaking point, respectively.

Dissertation Overview: Numerical modelling of the hydrodynamics and energy generation of an oscillating wave surge converter system

The Oscillating Wave Surge Converter (OWSC) is one of the most relevant systems for harnessing energy from ocean waves, generating energy by capturing the horizontal component of wave motion. This technology, which is on a pre-commercial development scale, presents one of the greatest potentials for electricity generation, due to its operating principle and the great improvement in design experienced over the last few years. Today, Computational numerical modelling is one of the main tools for the study and design of this and several other power generation systems from sea waves. In this context, a detailed study of a wave farm composed of several OWSCs is necessary, which represents a case closer to reality, since most renewable systems include several modules of the same converter. Considering the complexity of the existing hydrodynamics in these cases, a numerical modeling methodology based on the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) methodology is applied to correctly represent the oscillation of the structure and the observed flow fields. In order to achieve the objectives, the OpenFOAM v.4.1 computational code and the OlaFlow extension are used, together with the Wall Adapting Local Eddy Viscosity (WALE) LES model, which allows a representation of the system very close to real application cases. The proposed model demonstrated a good adherence of the results when compared to experimental studies present in the literature. Likewise, it was observed that changes in wave height and period, bottom slope, wave reflection, spacing between converters, and the wave farm layout can cause important variations in the energy generated by the system, increasing or reducing considerably its efficiency, emphasizing the importance of these parameters in the design and development of this technology.

Thesis Overview: Oscillating wave surge converters – Large eddy simulation modelling of wave farms hydrodynamics and its related energy potential

The Oscillating Wave Surge Converter (OWSC) is one of the most relevant systems for harnessing energy from ocean waves, generating energy by capturing the horizontal component of wave motion. This technology, which is on a pre-commercial development scale, presents one of the greatest potentials for electricity generation, due to its operating principle and the great improvement in design experienced over the last few years. Today, Computational numerical modelling is one of the main tools for the study and design of this and several other power generation systems from sea waves. In this context, a detailed study of a wave farm composed of several OWSCs is necessary, which represents a case closer to reality, since most renewable systems include several modules of the same converter. Considering the complexity of the existing hydrodynamics in these cases, a numerical modeling methodology based on the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) methodology is applied to correctly represent the oscillation of the structure and the observed flow fields. In order to achieve the objectives, the OpenFOAM v.4.1 computational code and the OlaFlow extension are used, together with the Wall Adapting Local Eddy Viscosity (WALE) LES model, which allows a representation of the system very close to real application cases. The proposed model demonstrated a good adherence of the results when compared to experimental studies present in the literature. Likewise, it was observed that changes in wave height and period, bottom slope, wave reflection, spacing between converters, and the wave farm layout can cause important variations in the energy generated by the system, increasing or reducing considerably its efficiency, emphasizing the importance of these parameters in the design and development of this technology.

Partitioning the Extreme Wave Spectrum of Hurricane Wilma to Improve the Design of Wave Energy Converters

Analysis of the omnidirectional energy spectrum from storm wave measurements provides valuable parameters for understanding the specific local conditions that wave energy converters would have to withstand. Partitioning the energy spectrum also helps to identify wave groups with low directional spread propagating in the direction of the dominant waves of the more energetic wave systems. This paper analyzes the partition of the Hurricane Wilma energy spectrum using single-point measurements obtained in shallow water. Hurricane Wilma generated simultaneous crossing wave systems with different significant wave heights and steepnesses. The maximum estimated significant height among the wave groups was 5.5 m. The corresponding height of the partitions and the omnidirectional energy spectrum were 11.0 m (swell) and 12 m, respectively. While linear superposition was the main mechanism responsible for driving the wave groups, at times, modulational instability produced nonlinear wave groups. This is a new finding, since modulational instability is usually considered an open-sea phenomenon. For shorelines with multidirectional wave groups, submerged and semi-submerged devices should be designed to account for changes in wave direction and wave height, although under extreme hurricane conditions, energy harvesting might have to be sacrificed for the benefit of device integrity.

Time of Emergence for Altimetry‐Based Significant Wave Height Changes in the North Atlantic

AbstractSatellite observations of significant wave height (Hs) have recently reached 30 years of continuous record. Is this length sufficient to detect the effect of anthropogenically forced climate change on wave height trends? Wave height decadal variability is influenced by a combination of internal variability and forced variability caused by both anthropogenic and natural forcing. Using a statistical model to derive Hs from sea level pressure field and exploiting ERA‐5 reanalysis data as well as 80 members of the Community Earth System Model v2 large ensemble, we show that, over the North Atlantic (NA), altimetry‐based Hs trends are mostly caused by internal variability. This suggests that Hs changes computed over the satellite era are not yet controlled by anthropogenic climate change. Starting from 1993, the date of emergence, defined as the date when the forced signal becomes dominant over the internal variability, is later than 2050 for Hs in the NA.

Analysis of Wave Parameters on the Uprighting Process of a Grounded and Capsized Ship

It is a complicated task to right a capsized ship on the sea bottom because of wave load. Based on the influence of waves on stability and mechanical action, this paper constructs a wave force calculation model by the airy wave theory, and the stability and righting force models of righting a grounded and capsized ship are obtained. The uprighting process of a grounded and capsized ship is simulated by GHS software. In the process, stability and righting force are solved, and the effect of wave parameters on stability and mechanical action is studied. The result shows that when the wave phase is at its origin, the stability and the righting force can be effectively reduced. The wavelength has a significant effect on the hull stability, righting force and ground force in the range of 25 m–35 m. The change of wave height has significant influence on the stability and ground force, but the maximum ground force does not always change regularly with the wave height. Variation of the angle between the hull and the direction of the wave could significantly affect the stability, righting force, and ground force. When the encounter angle is 90°, the righting force is smaller than in other cases, and the maximum negative-going stability, the maximum righting force, and the maximum ground force values are 7.1%, 7.57%, and 3.83%, respectively, 11.7% smaller than those of still water. It is found by comparing several groups of wave parameters that a transverse wave could significantly reduce the difficulty of righting a grounded and capsized ship.

Effect of currents on nonlinear waves in shallow water

Effect of various forms of currents on regular nonlinear waves in shallow water is investigated by use of a computational fluid dynamics approach. A range of wave conditions with different wave heights and wave periods are considered. Effect of three types of currents on these waves is investigated, namely (i) uniform current over the water depth, (ii) shear current from the seafloor to the still-water level, and (iii) a custom current profile that changes over the water depth. The current profiles are considered in both following and opposing directions of the incoming wave, forming in total 18 wave–current configurations. The Navier–Stokes equations for a laminar flow are solved computationally in two dimensions. A numerical wave–current maker is created to generate combined nonlinear waves and currents in shallow water. The effect of the currents on the change of the wave field, including quantitative change of the surface elevation, wave height, wavelength, horizontal particle velocity, and the velocity and pressure fields is presented and discussed. It is found that presence of the current can alter the wave field significantly, and the current profile and direction play a significant role in the change of the wave field. A following current in shallow water increases the peak of surface elevation, horizontal particle velocity and pressure, along with an increase in wavelength and wave height, while an opposing current reduces these. The change of wave height with current direction appears to be opposite to that observed in deep water in the literature. It is also concluded that a linear superposition of the undisturbed wave and current velocities can describe the horizontal particle velocity of the wave–current field for following currents (particularly under the wave trough) reasonably well, but larger differences are observed for opposing currents.

Improving the accuracy of hurricane wave modeling in Gulf of Mexico with dynamically-coupled SWAN and ADCIRC

Dynamically-coupled SWAN and ADCIRC models have been applied to enhance the predictions of extreme waves and storm surges induced by hurricanes and sea level rise (SLR) in the Gulf of Mexico. The model performance was evaluated using Hurricane Michael, a Category-5 hurricane, as a case study. Modeled wave heights were compared to the observations. Results indicate that the dynamically-coupled SWAN-ADCIRC models substantially enhance the modeling accuracy. By comparing to the maximum observed 2.69 m of wave height near the hurricane landing site, the error is 0.04 m by the SWAN-ADCIRC models in comparison to the 0.39 m by the SWAN stand-alone simulation. Effects of sea level rise on hurricane wave heights were investigated under four SLR scenarios of 0.2m, 0.5m, 1m, and 1.5m. Results indicate that, as sea level rises, wave heights increase non-linearly in shallow waters near the hurricane landing site. At the wave observation station near the hurricane landing site, the ratio of the wave-height change to SLR increases to 117% and the ratio of the combined wave-surge change to SLR increases to 265%. Analysis indicates that this is due to the substantial percentage changes in water depth occurring in shallow water compared to deep water caused by SLR.

Wave and storm surge evolutions in the Pearl River Estuary with large-scale land reclamation impacts

Globally, many estuarine areas are suffering from large-scale land reclamations to fulfill the land demands of city expansion. Understanding the wave and storm surge evolutions in response to human reclamations in estuaries is of vital importance regarding estuarine management (e.g., reclamation plan formulation, flood mitigation). The wave and storm characteristics, and their responses to 1990–2020 land reclamations in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) were investigated by a storm surge model. Besides, the impacts of increasing typhoon intensity (TI) on the changes of waves and storm surges caused by reclamations were also illustrated under the background of global warming. Simulated results show that reclamations cause apparent variations of wave height and storm surge fields in the PRE. The wave height and surge height also increase with the enhancement of TI, consequently influencing the wave height and surge height change rates caused by reclamations. Furthermore, the combined actions of land reclamation and increased TI conduct the most remarkable effects and bring the highest surge height compared with other scenarios. Particularly, the maximum wave height and surge height can reach 0.88–2.31 m and 2.71–3.77 m along the seawalls of Zhuhai, respectively, indicating more enormous seawall submersion and inland flooding.

Experimental Study on Wave Current Characteristics and Stability of the Junction of Artificial Island and Subsea Tunnel

In order to ensure the safety and reliability of the submerged tunnel covering layer at the junction of an artificial island and tunnel under extremely bad conditions, the wave current characteristics and the stability of the protective structure in the variable slope section were studied. By conducting model tests, the coupling effect of wave and current is revealed in this study. The hydrodynamic field, including the varying angles between waves and currents, is simulated in the model test. The ratio (Hs′/Hs) of the wave height and the ratio (U′/U) of the velocity with and without the existence of a current, the relative velocity (U/C), the wave steepness (Hs/L), the relative water depth (d/L) and the angle (α) between wave and current are obtained, and the corresponding calculation expression is derived, by checking the test results, the empirical formula can better predict the changes of wave height and water flow after wave current coupling. The stable weight of the surface protection rock is obtained through an optimization test. Based on the relationship between the stable weight of the protection rock and the wave height under the wave–current coupling effect, a modified expression for calculating the stable weight of the armor block is derived. The modified calculation method can support estimating the stable weight of the armor rocks of an overburden structure of a similar immersed tunnel under the wave–current coupling effect. This study can not only solve the practical problems of major projects of the Shenzhen–Zhongshan channel but also provide valuable basic data and technical support for the construction of overburden of subsea-immersed tube tunnels in the future.

Regional wave model climate projections for coastal impact assessments under a high greenhouse gas emission scenario

In the future, shifts in wind storms across the North and Baltic Seas are highly unpredictable, challenging the projection of wave conditions for managing coastal hazards. Moreover, regional sea level rise (SLR), with very large uncertainty, complicates the situation for stakeholders seeking recommendations for climate adaptation plans. The purpose of this study is to examine the change of the storm surge and wind wave components of the water level due to climate change in a low tidal range Køge Bay near the entrance of the Baltic Sea. Under a high greenhouse gas emission scenario RCP8.5, we employed a regional climate model (HIRHAM) forced wave model (WAM) and focused on the wave model results during the “storm surge conditions” (exceeding 20 years storm surge events) and “stormy conditions” (exceeding 90th percentile of wave heights). We find that the change in both wave height and period in the future is negligible under “stormy conditions”. Nevertheless, under “storm surge conditions” when considering SLR, the simulated wave height is projected to double in the near future (mid-century) under RCP 8.5, and the wave period may also increase by about 1.5 seconds. This is because some high significant wave height events in the future are associated with the storm surge events when considering SLR. The findings suggest that the combined effects of mean sea level rise, storm surge and waves are likely to increase the risk to a bay with geography and exposure comparable to Køge Bay. As a result, the future plan for climate engineering protection should place a premium on the additional wave energy protection associated with storm surges.

Study of Two Ships Approaching Process and Towing Motion under Wave Action

The rescue of ships in distress at sea relies mainly on rescue vessels, which includes the approaching process and the towing motion of the two ships. Ship rescue can be reduced to a two-ship problem, primarily involving the relative motion between ships during rescue. We established a mathematical model of ship motion based on the viscous fluid N-S equation, and the approaching process of two Wigley ships under waves was simulated in a two-dimensional plane. Then, according to three-dimensional potential flow theory, the coupled motion response model of the ships under six degrees of freedom was constructed, and calculation models of wind, waves, currents and other environmental disturbance factors were established to numerically calculate the towing motion. The results show that the upstream vessel has a lower heave motion amplitude and higher roll motion amplitude during the approaching process; A ratio of 1.5 times the width of the ship is the critical area where the motion of the two ships interacts with each other; For the berthing process, the faster the motion of the active vessel is, the lower the motion amplitude will be for both upstream and downstream vessels. When towing under rough sea conditions, changes in wave height and towing velocity have a large influence on the coupling effect of the towing system. When towing, head-on waves and low sea conditions are preferred, and the velocity should be sufficiently high to reduce the influence of cable self-weight on the towed ship. According to the simulations, the recommended velocity range is 3–5 m/s. Finally, a ship model scaling model was developed based on the similar quasi-Froude number of the ship model test, and the simulation results were verified by conducting parallel and towing tests of the model in a basin with a spherical wave-maker device.

SWAN Modeling of Dredging Effect on the Oued Sebou Estuary

The estuary ecosystem’s health and ecological integrity are essential for preserving environmental quality, habitats, and economic activity. The main objective of the present study is to comprehend the wave hydrodynamic impact on the Oued Sebou estuary, which is situated in the Kenitra region on Morocco’s north Atlantic coast in North Africa. Specifically, it focused on the dredging effect (caused by sand extraction) on the wave motion and its impact on the estuary environment. Different scenarios of wave-propagation simulations were carried out, varying the significant wave height, in deep water (from 1.5 to 4 m), and considering the bathymetry before and after two dredging cases of 2- and 4-m depths. The change of wave height at the Oued Sebou estuary shoreline was simulated by using the third version of the Simulating Waves Nearshore Model (SWAN). The SWAN model formulates the wave evolution in terms of a spectral energy balance on a structured grid. The effect of dredging on the wave spreading in addition to the flow hydrodynamic structures were extensively analyzed. According to the simulated results, the dredging activities in the Oued Sebou estuary mainly affect the river mouth and the southern breakwater area, increasing the potential erosive action. The areas at the northern coastal strip and near the northern breakwater are subject to possible accumulation of sediments.

The effect of reclamation on the significant wave height changes in Jakarta Bay during Hagibis and Mitag typhoons

The effect of reclamation on the significant wave height changes in Jakarta Bay during Hagibis and Mitag typhoons

Trend detection by innovative polygon trend analysis for winds and waves

It is known that densely populated coastal areas may be adversely affected as a result of the climate change effects. In this respect, for coastal protection, utilization, and management it is critical to understand the changes in wind speed (WS) and significant wave height (SWH) in coastal areas. Innovative approaches, which are one of the trend analysis methods used as an effective way to examine these changes, have started to be used very frequently in many fields in recent years, although not in coastal and marine engineering. The Innovative Polygon Trend Analysis (IPTA) method provides to observe the one-year behavior of the time series by representing the changes between consecutive months as well as determining the trends in each individual month. It is not also affected by constraints such as data length, distribution type or serial correlation. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to investigate whether using innovative trend methods compared to the traditional methods makes a difference in trends of the climatological variables. For this goal, trends of mean and maximum WS and SWH series for each month at 33 coastal locations in Black Sea coasts were evaluated. Wind and wave parameters WS and SWH were obtained from 42-year long-term wave simulations using Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN) model forced by the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR). Monthly mean and maximum WS and SWH ​​were calculated at all locations and then trend analyses using both traditional and innovative methods were performed. Low occurrence of trends were detected for mean SWH, maximum SWH, mean WS, and maximum WS according to the Mann-Kendall test in the studied months. The IPTA method detected more trends, such as the decreasing trend of the mean SWH at most locations in May, July and November December. The lowest (highest) values were seen in summer (winter), according to a one-year cycle on the IPTA template for all variables. According to both methods, most of the months showed a decreasing trend for the mean WS at some locations in the inner continental shelf of the southwestern and southeastern Black Sea. The IPTA method can capture most of the trends detected by the Mann-Kendall method, and more missed by the latter method.

Numerical modelling of land subsidence effect on coastal sediment transport in Pekalongan

This study examines the condition of sediment transport on the Pekalongan coast by a numerical model computation using the Delft3D Flow module. The research was started by collecting and analysing field data both primary and secondary. Thus, the hydrodynamic and sediment transport model are then calculated in two scenarios which are representing the conditions before (2016) and after (2021) land subsidence by assuming a land subsidence of 10 cm/year. The numerical model is then calibrated and verified on the data of tidal water level elevation and current velocity, the best results are obtained at a chezy number of 60 m0.5/s, and sensitivity tests are carried out on changes in sediment grain size, wave height and wave direction in order to determine the characteristics of the numerical model. The sensitivity analysis of sediment grain size is the most sensitive effect to sediment transport characteristic. The results of the numerical model are then compared based on the scenarios before (2016) and after the occurrence of land subsidence (2021). The results indicate that after land subsidence, the sedimentation rate is increasing by 56.34%, whereas the erosion rate is decreasing by 3.98% after one neap-spring tidal cycle (around 15 days) in the study area.

GIS based coastal vulnerability assessment and adaptation barriers to coastal regulations in Dakshina Kannada district, India

Coastal areas represent fragile and complex ecosystems. Changes in climate, increasing urbanization and industrialization are creating immense pressure on the coastal environment. Coastal erosion, sea level rise, changing morphology of the coastal areas and extreme weather events are some of the threats that coastal regions are experiencing globally. While various studies have assessed the vulnerability of coastal regions quantitatively and spatially, there is a need to supplement these findings with qualitative insights based on human experiences. Thus, the present study carried out a coastal vulnerability assessment along the coastline of Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, India using Shannon’s Entropy by including eight parameters i.e., slope, elevation, geomorphology, bathymetry, sea level rise, mean tidal range, mean significant wave height and shoreline change. The study also explored the experiences and perceptions of stakeholders regarding adaptation barriers to climate change vulnerabilities for understanding the ground complexities. Coastal vulnerability index (CVI) revealed that nearly 39.7 km of the coastline is vulnerable including areas along Sasihtlu beach, Munda, New Mangalore Port Batapady beach, Uchilla, Kotekar, Ullal beach, Netravati River Area and Mukka beach. Rainfall induced coastal erosion, lack of coordination among the various stakeholders, policy makers and practitioners regarding a common framework for climate change adaptation strategies were identified adaptation barriers. The findings of CVI and adaptation barriers may be used by practitioners and policy makers for framing the adaptation measures for mitigating the implications of the coastal region.

Assessing Wave Attenuation With Rising Sea Levels for Sustainable Oyster Reef-Based Living Shorelines

In densely populated coastal areas with sea-level rise (SLR), protecting the shorelines against erosion due to the wave impact is crucial. Along with many engineered structures like seawalls and breakwaters, there are also green structures like constructed oyster reefs (CORs) that can not only attenuate the incident waves but also grow and maintain pace with SLR. However, there is a lack of data and understanding of the long-term wave attenuation capacity of the living shoreline structures under SLR. In this study, we used the phase-resolving Boussinesq model, FUNWAVE-TVD, to examine the hydrodynamics including wave height and wave-induced currents around the CORs in the Gandys Beach living shoreline project area in the upper Delaware Bay, United States. Waves were measured at six locations (offshore to onshore, with and without CORs) in the Gandys Beach living shoreline project area for two winter months, during which four nor’easters occurred. We selected three cases that represent prevailing wind, wave, and tide conditions to examine the fine spatial and temporal changes in wave height and current velocity by the construction of the reefs. Wave heights and wave energy spectra generated from FUNWAVE-TVD were then validated with field observations. It is found that FUNWAVE-TVD is capable of simulating waves and associated hydrodynamic processes that interact with CORs. The model results show that wave attenuation rates vary with the incident wave properties and water depth, and wave-induced circulation patterns are affected by the CORs. The wave attenuation capacity of CORs over the next 100 years was simulated with the incorporation of the oyster reef optimal growth zone. Our study found that sustainable wave attenuation capacity can only be achieved when suitable habitat for COR is provided, thus it can vertically grow with SLR. Suitable habitat includes optimal intertidal inundation duration, current velocity for larval transport and settlement, on-reef oyster survival and growth, and other environmental conditions including salinity, temperature, and nutrient availability. Furthermore, the model results suggest that it would take CORs approximately 9 years after construction to reach and maintain the maximum wave attenuation capacity in sustainable living shorelines.

Wing-in-ground craft longitudinal modeling and simulation based on a moving wavy ground test

Compared with the static wavy ground tests and moving flat ground tests, the moving wavy ground test eliminates the effect of the boundary layer and generates more accurate test results of the aerodynamics in the wave environment. This paper introduces a wind tunnel test of a wing-in-ground (WIG) effect craft with moving wavy ground. The wavy ground is made of elastic material and installed on a moving belt to simulate the relative motion of the WIG craft and the wavy water surface. The test focuses on the relationship between aerodynamics and the waves and indicates that longitudinal aerodynamics is affected not only by wave height but also by wave height change rate, while the lateral and directional aerodynamic characteristics are less affected by the ground effect. The longitudinal aerodynamics and flight dynamics model considering the wave height change rate are established based on the test results. The waves adopted in the dynamics model are random waves to simulate the natural wave environment better. An H∞ controller is designed to deal with the more complicated wave disturbance. The simulation results show that the aerodynamics and flight dynamics model can reasonably simulate the flight of the WIG craft in the wave environment, and the H∞ controller can effectively deal with the wave disturbance and generate a smooth flight.

Probabilistic analysis of wave-induced dynamic response in a poroelastic sloping seabed using random finite element method

Wave loading can lead to transient liquefaction and instability in a porous seabed and can therefore cause marine structures to fail. The failure mechanism of seabed involving many complex factors and uncertainties has not been fully revealed. The properties of marine sediments, usually assessed as constant parameters in traditional deterministic analyses, actually vary spatially because of geomorphic processes and loading history. This study therefore presents a probabilistic analysis of wave-induced dynamic responses in a poroelastic sloping seabed by applying a random finite element method. Spatial variabilities of the cross-correlated permeability and shear modulus of marine soils are taken into account using random field theory. The response of poroelastic sloping seabed is analyzed based on Biot's theory and linear wave theory considering changes in wave height and length when propagated from relatively deep to shallower water. A LiveLink code is written to integrate the random field simulation and the finite element model for the probabilistic analysis of a spatially heterogeneous seabed. Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to obtain the statistics and associated uncertainties of the seabed response. Effects of cross-correlation of random fields and the slope angle on the response of a poroelastic sloping seabed were also investigated.