Controls of multi-modal wave conditions in a complex coastal setting

Geophysical Research Letters
By: , and 

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Abstract

Coastal hazards emerge from the combined effect of wave conditions and sea level anomalies associated with storms or low-frequency atmosphere-ocean oscillations. Rigorous characterization of wave climate is limited by the availability of spectral wave observations, the computational cost of dynamical simulations, and the ability to link wave-generating atmospheric patterns with coastal conditions. We present a hybrid statistical-dynamical approach to simulating nearshore wave climate in complex coastal settings, demonstrated in the Southern California Bight, where waves arriving from distant, disparate locations are refracted over complex bathymetry and shadowed by offshore islands. Contributions of wave families and large-scale atmospheric drivers to nearshore wave energy flux are analyzed. Results highlight the variability of influences controlling wave conditions along neighboring coastlines. The universal method demonstrated here can be applied to complex coastal settings worldwide, facilitating analysis of the effects of climate change on nearshore wave climate.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Controls of multi-modal wave conditions in a complex coastal setting
Series title Geophysical Research Letters
DOI 10.1002/2017GL075272
Volume 44
Issue 24
Year Published 2017
Language English
Publisher AGU
Contributing office(s) Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Description 9 p.
First page 12315
Last page 12323
Country United States
State California
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