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Effect of wind on near-shore breaking waves

Posted on:2011-05-27Degree:M.SType:Thesis
University:Florida Atlantic UniversityCandidate:Schaffer, FaydraFull Text:PDF
GTID:2461390011471030Subject:Physical oceanography
Abstract/Summary:
The aim of this project is to identify the effect of wind on near-shore breaking waves. A breaking wave was created using a simulated beach slope configuration. Testing was done on two different beach slope configurations. The effect of offshore winds of varying speeds was considered. Waves of various frequencies and heights were considered. A parametric study was carried out. The experiments took place in the Hydrodynamics lab at FAU Boca Raton campus. The experimental data validates the knowledge we currently know about breaking waves. Offshore winds effect is known to increase the breaking height of a plunging wave, while also decreasing the breaking water depth, causing the wave to break further inland. Offshore winds cause spilling waves to react more like plunging waves, therefore increasing the height of the spilling wave while consequently decreasing the breaking water depth.
Keywords/Search Tags:Breaking, Effect
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