Wave statistics for the Gulf of Mexico off Caplen, Texas /

Mode of access: Internet.

Wave statistics for the Gulf of Mexico off Burrwood, Louisiana /

Mode of access: Internet.

Wave statistics for the Gulf of Mexico off Apalachicola, Florida /

Mode of access: Internet.

Wave statistics for the Gulf of Mexico off Tampa Bay, Florida /

Mode of access: Internet.

Wave extinction by pneumatic breakwater /

Mode of access: Internet.

Wave velocity method of depth determination for non-uniform short crested wave systems by aerial photography /

Mode of access: Internet.

Secondary wave crest formation /

Mode of access: Internet.

Solitary wave behavior at concave barriers /

Mode of access: Internet.

Long wave studies /

Mode of access: Internet.

Rock movement in large-scale tests of riprap stability under wave action /

Mode of access: Internet.

Longshore current velocity : a review of theory and data /

Mode of access: Internet.

Wave protection aspects of harbor design : a manual of principles and procedures /

Mode of access: Internet.

Long wave generation by the shoaling and breaking of transient wave groups on a beach

This paper presents new laboratory data on the generation of long waves by the shoaling and breaking of transient-focused short-wave groups. Direct offshore radiation of long waves from the breakpoint is shown experimentally for the first time. High spatial resolution enables identification of the relationship between the spatial gradients of the short-wave envelope and the long-wave surface. This relationship is consistent with radiation stress theory even well inside the surf zone and appears as a result of the strong nonlinear forcing associated with the transient group. In shallow water, the change in depth across the group leads to asymmetry in the forcing which generates significant dynamic setup in front of the group during shoaling. Strong amplification of the incident dynamic setup occurs after short-wave breaking. The data show the radiation of a transient long wave dominated by a pulse of positive elevation, preceded and followed by weaker trailing waves with negative elevation. The instantaneous cross-shore structure of the long wave shows the mechanics of the reflection process and the formation of a transient node in the inner surf zone. The wave run-up and relative amplitude of the radiated and incident long waves suggests significant modification of the incident bound wave in the inner surf zone and, the dominance of long waves generated by the breaking process. It is proposed that these conditions occur when the primary short waves and bound wave are not shallow water waves at the breakpoint. A simple criterion is given to determine these conditions, which generally occur for the important case of storm waves.

Understanding the tsunami with a simple model

In this paper, we use the approximation of shallow water waves (Margaritondo G 2005 Eur. J. Phys. 26 401) to understand the behaviour of a tsunami in a variable depth. We deduce the shallow water wave equation and the continuity equation that must be satisfied when a wave encounters a discontinuity in the sea depth. A short explanation about how the tsunami hit the west coast of India is given based on the refraction phenomenon. Our procedure also includes a simple numerical calculation suitable for undergraduate students in physics and engineering.