Maritime constructions

a.a. 2021

Lesson no. 3

TYPES OF WAVES

Chiara Favaretto, PhD

chiara.favaretto@dicea.unipd.it
WAVE CHARACTERISTICS
Crest = Highest point of the wave
Trough = Lowest point of the wave
H (wave height) = Height from trough to crest (m)
A (amplitude) = distance from the centre of wave to the bottom of the crest (m)
L (wave length) = Distance from one crest/trough to the next (m)
H/L (wave steepness) = ratio of wave height to wavelength
T (wave period) = time for one full wavelength to pass a given point (s)

2
TYPES OF WAVE

TYPES PHENOMENON CAUSES PERIOD

WIND WAVES Wind induced friction < 15 s
SHORT PERIOD
SWELL WAVES Wind < 30 s
SURF BEATS Wave groups 1 – 5 min
SEICHES Wind changes 2 – 40 min
LONG PERIOD Surf beats, wind changes,
RESONANCE 2 – 40 min
tsunamis
TSUNAMI Seismic activity 5 – 60 min
ASTRONOMICAL TIDE Moon-solar attraction 12 – 24 h
TIDES METEOROLOGICAL Wind and atmospheric
1 – 30 days
SURGE pressure
SET-UP SET-DOWN,
PILING UP
OTHERS
CLIMATIC VARIATIONS
SECULAR CHANGES

3
TYPES OF WAVE
Content of energy for each type of waves

4
WIND WAVES
2D VIEW OF WAVES

3D VIEW / PLAN VIEW OF WAVES

c = wave celerity or phase velocity

5
WIND WAVES
Wave shape c = wave celerity or phase velocity

Wave energy = EK + EP ∝ H2 cg = group velocity

Particles u = orbital velocity

6
WIND WAVES
A wave does not move mass in
the direction of propagation, it
transfers energy

DEEP WATER INTERMEDIATE WATER SHALLOW WATER

(H/L > 1/2) Elliptical orbits (H/L < 1/20)
Circular orbits Linear orbits
7
WAVE TRANSFORMATIONS

8
SWELL WAVES
Swell waves have their origin as wind waves, but are the consequence of
dispersion of wind waves from distant weather systems

9
LONG WAVES
SURF BEAT are indirectly formed by the wind. Groups of high waves raise the water
level temporarily at the shore

SEICHES are resonant (or near-resonant) standing oscillations in a (semi) enclosed

water body caused by incoming long-period waves

The effect is caused by resonances in a body of water that has been disturbed by one or
more factors, most often meteorological effects (wind and atmospheric pressure
variations), seismic activity, or tsunamis.

10
LONG WAVES - SEICHES
The longest natural period of a seiche is the period associated with the fundamental
resonance for the body of water—corresponding to the longest standing wave.
𝐿𝑛 2𝐿
In an enclosed rectangular body of water: 𝑇= =
𝑐 𝑛 𝑔ℎ

𝐿1 = 2𝐿

𝐿2 = 𝐿

𝐿𝑛 = 2𝐿/𝑛

11
RESONANCE
Harbour oscillations are a specific type of seiche motion that occur in partially enclosed
basins (gulfs, bays, fjords, inlets, ports, and harbours) that are connected through one
or more openings to the sea. In contrast to seiches generated by direct external forcing
(e.g., atmospheric pressure, wind, and seismic activity), harbour oscillations are mainly
generated by long waves entering through the open boundary (harbour entrance) from
the open sea.

12
RESONANCE
Harbour oscillations are a specific type of seiche motion that occur in partially enclosed
basins (gulfs, bays, fjords, inlets, ports, and harbours) that are connected through one
or more openings to the sea. In contrast to seiches generated by direct external forcing
(e.g., atmospheric pressure, wind, and seismic activity), harbour oscillations are mainly
generated by long waves entering through the open boundary (harbour entrance) from
the open sea.

𝐿0 = 4𝐿

4
𝐿1 = 𝐿
3

𝐿𝑛 4𝐿
𝑇= =
𝑐 (1 + 2𝑛) 𝑔ℎ 4𝐿
𝐿𝑛 = 𝑛 = 0,1 …
(1 + 2𝑛)

13
TSUNAMI
Tsunamis consist of a series of long-period waves characterized by very long wave
length (up to 100 km) and high speed (up to 760 km/hr) in the deep ocean
Tsunamis originate from earthquakes, volcanic explosions, or submarine landslides

14
TSUNAMI
Tsunamis consist of a series of long-period waves characterized by very long wave
length (up to 100 km) and high speed (up to 760 km/hr) in the deep ocean
Tsunamis originate from earthquakes, volcanic explosions, or submarine landslides

15
TIDES & SURGE
Astronomical tide
The tide is the large-scale water motion generated by the rotation of the earth in
combination with the varying gravitational influence on the ocean of the moon and the
sun.
These phenomena cause predictable and regular oscillations in the water level, which
are referred to as the tide. The astronomical tide at a specific location (micro-meso-
macro tidals) can be predicted and is published in Tidal Tables.

𝐺 𝑚1 𝑚2
𝐹=
𝑑2

𝑇 = 12 − 24 ℎ
16
TIDES & SURGE
Storm surge
Storm surge is the rise in sea level resulting from low atmospheric pressure associated
with storms and the accumulation of water driven shoreward by the winds

F = fetch

𝜏 𝐹 (1 + 𝛽) 𝜏 𝐹 (1 + 0.1)
Wind set-up ~ 𝑠𝑉 = =
𝜌𝑔ℎ 𝜌𝑔ℎ

𝜏 = 0.00125 0.63 + 0.066 𝑉𝑣 𝑉𝑣 2

17
TIDES & SURGE
Storm surge
Storm surge is the rise in sea level resulting from low atmospheric pressure
associated with storms and the accumulation of water driven shoreward by the winds

Inverse barometer effect

∆𝑃𝑎
Effect of barometric pressure ~ 𝑠𝑝 =
𝜌𝑔
18
OTHERS PHENOMENA
• Seasonal variation (temperature, seasons, cycle)

• El Nino is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central
and east-central equatorial Pacific. El Niño phases are known to last close to four
years, however, records demonstrate that the cycles have lasted between two and
seven years

• Secular & Climatological variation (due to natural and human causes, for
instancce a small changes in the temperature results in high dilations of water
masses) → sea level rise

19
SEA LEVEL RISE
The Sea Level Rise SLR projections
are based on RCPs.
A Representative Concentration
Pathway (RCP) is a greenhouse gas
concentration (not emissions)
trajectory adopted by the IPCC. Four
pathways were used for climate
modeling and research. The
pathways describe different climate
futures, all of which are considered
possible depending on the volume
of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted
in the years to come.
The RCPs – originally RCP2.6,
RCP4.5, RCP6, and RCP8.5 – are
labelled after a possible range of
radiative forcing values in the year
2100 (2.6, 4.5, 6, and 8.5 W/m2,
respectively)

20
SEA LEVEL RISE
Sea level rise from IPCC – SROCC 2019:
https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/chapter/chapter-4-sea-level-rise-and-implications-for-low-lying-
islands-coasts-and-communities/

Scenario SLR 2050 SLR 2100

RCP 2.6 0.217 m [0.153 - 0.281] 0.435 m [0.285 - 0.589]
RCP 4.5 0.228 m [0.165 - 0.293] 0.549 m [0.385 - 0.724]
RCP 8.5 0.268 m [0.196 - 0.343] 0.842 m [0.609 - 1.105]

21
EXAMPLE OF SEA LEVEL MEASURMENTS

yearly mean sea level

Mobile mean sea level → SLR

seiches

22
4 NOVEMBER 1966 - VENICE

SEICHES
2𝐿 2 ∗ 800𝑘𝑚
𝑇1 = = ≈ 22 ℎ
𝑔ℎ 𝑔 40𝑚

𝐿 800𝑘𝑚
𝑇2 = = ≈ 11 ℎ
𝑔ℎ 𝑔 40𝑚

23
ASTRONOMICAL TIDES…NEXT LESSON

24
 Maritime constructions
a.a. 2021

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Chiara Favaretto, PhD

chiara.favaretto@dicea.unipd.it