1. 2005 Tropical Storms
Storm tracks generally fall into three categories:
1) Atlantic U-turns
2) Gulf coast strikers
3) East coast skirters

2. 1999 Tropical Storms

3. 1999 Tropical Storms – Large Waves
Data from Cape Canaveral Buoy and Model Results

4. Waves Always wind, so always waves
Transfer of energy from a windy area to a narrow coastal band
General topics to cover:
(1) Generation
(2) Dispersion and Travel
(3) Shoaling Transformation
(4) Breaking

5. Sea, Swell, Surf

6. Wave Generation
Supply the bulk of the energy to coastal processes from WIND
Depends on three factors:
Wind Speed – how “fast” the wind blows
Duration – how “long” the wind blows
Fetch – how “far” the wind blows

7. Wave Prediction Nomogram

8. Wave Anatomy - Periodic Waves
Can think of waves w.r.t. a spatial framework, or w.r.t. a temporal framework.
T = wave period
f = wave frequency = 1/T
L = wave length
C = L/T = phase velocity or celerity
H = wave height
 = water surface displacement
h = water depth
d = horizontal water particle orbital diameter
s = vertical water particle orbital diameter
u = horizontal water particle velocity
w = vertical water particle velocity

9. Motion of water in waves
Red dot on the surface - sees the wave form pass, but moves in a circular orbit
When red dot is at bottom of it’s orbital, it’s in the trough of the wave, when at the top of its orbital, it’s at the crest of the wave
Orbital size (diameter) decreases with depth
Waves propagate through the medium

10. Wave Superposition
run animation of wave superposition

11. Formation of Wave Groups
two wave trains of slightly different wave lengths, superposed, can create wave groups

12. Wave Properties
Oscillation

13. Wave Transformation
Refraction, convergence, and divergence
GLY 2030C

14. Wave Refraction - La Jolla Canyon

15. Wave Breaking Style
Plunging breakers, spilling breakers (waves of translation)

16. Wave Breaking
The release of energy derived from the wind, along a narrow coastal zone - geomorphic work done by wind, really, translated through medium of water.

17. Wave Breaking – When it occurs?.

18. Style of Breaking - Illustrated
Spilling waves (flat beaches)
Plunging waves (moderate beaches)
First observations recognized that beach slope and wave steepness had something to do with this...
Surging waves (steep beaches)

19. Surf Zone Wave Decay and Energy Dissipation
Steep, reflective beaches -
Wave breaking (and energy dissipation) is concentrated through plunging breakers.
Broken wave surges up the beach as runup.
Wave energy dissipation pattern depends on morphology of the beach
Villano Beach
Low-slope, dissipative beaches -
Extensive, wide surf zone over which spilling breakers dissipate energy.
At any time, several broken wave bores, and smaller unbroken waves, are visible.
Anastasia Island

20. Wave Speed - Nearshore How fast does a Laird Hamilton surf?
wave speed C = (gh)1/2
tow-in waves: H = ~8 m
C = (10 m/s2 * 10 m)1/2 ~ 10 m/s
~25 mph!
waves “surfable” by mortals:
C = (10 m/s2 * 2 m)1/2 ~ 4.4 m/s
~9 mph!