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Breaker Depth Index Formula:
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The Breaker Depth Index is the ratio of the wave height at breaking to the water depth at the breakpoint. It's a dimensionless parameter used in coastal engineering to characterize wave breaking conditions.
The calculator uses the Breaker Depth Index formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates the ratio between wave height and water depth at the point where waves begin to break, which is crucial for understanding coastal processes and designing coastal structures.
Details: The Breaker Depth Index is essential for coastal engineering, beach erosion studies, and surf zone dynamics analysis. It helps predict wave behavior near shorelines and is used in the design of coastal protection structures.
Tips: Enter wave height at incipient breaking and water depth at breaking in meters. Both values must be positive numbers greater than zero for accurate calculation.
Q1: What is the typical range of Breaker Depth Index values?
A: The Breaker Depth Index typically ranges from 0.6 to 1.2, with an average value around 0.78 for spilling breakers.
Q2: How does wave type affect the Breaker Depth Index?
A: Different breaker types (spilling, plunging, surging) have different characteristic γb values, with spilling breakers having lower values and plunging breakers having higher values.
Q3: Can this index be used for all wave conditions?
A: While widely applicable, the Breaker Depth Index may vary with wave period, beach slope, and bottom roughness conditions.
Q4: How is wave height at incipient breaking measured?
A: Wave height at breaking can be measured through field observations, laboratory experiments, or estimated using wave transformation models.
Q5: What factors influence the Breaker Depth Index?
A: The index is influenced by wave steepness, bottom slope, wave period, and the type of breaking wave (spilling, plunging, or surging).