Wave Height In Deepwater Given Total Littoral Transport In Entire Breaker Zone In CERC Formula Calculator

CERC Formula:

\[ H_d = \sqrt{\frac{S}{0.014 \times C_o \times K_r^2 \times \sin(\phi_{br}) \times \cos(\phi_{br})}} \]

Total Littoral Transport (S):

m³/year

Deepwater Wave Celerity (Cₒ):

m/s

Refraction Coefficient (Kᵣ):

Angle of Wave Incidence (φ):

radians

Deepwater Wave Height (Hₔ):

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1. What is the CERC Formula for Deepwater Wave Height?

The CERC (Coastal Engineering Research Center) formula calculates deepwater wave height from total littoral transport, wave celerity, refraction coefficient, and wave incidence angle. It's widely used in coastal engineering for sediment transport analysis.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the CERC formula:

\[ H_d = \sqrt{\frac{S}{0.014 \times C_o \times K_r^2 \times \sin(\phi_{br}) \times \cos(\phi_{br})}} \]

Where:

\( H_d \) — Deepwater Wave Height (m)
\( S \) — Total Littoral Transport (m³/year)
\( C_o \) — Deepwater Wave Celerity (m/s)
\( K_r \) — Refraction Coefficient
\( \phi_{br} \) — Angle of Wave Incidence (radians)

Explanation: The formula relates wave energy to sediment transport capacity, accounting for wave refraction effects at the breaker zone.

3. Importance of Deepwater Wave Height Calculation

Details: Accurate deepwater wave height estimation is crucial for coastal engineering projects, shoreline management, sediment transport studies, and predicting coastal erosion patterns.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter total littoral transport in m³/year, deepwater celerity in m/s, refraction coefficient (dimensionless), and wave incidence angle in radians. All values must be positive.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is littoral transport?
A: Littoral transport refers to the movement of sediments along the shoreline caused by wave action and currents in the nearshore zone.

Q2: Why use deepwater wave characteristics?
A: Deepwater wave characteristics are used because they are unaffected by shallow water transformations and provide a consistent reference point for wave energy calculations.

Q3: What is wave refraction?
A: Wave refraction is the bending of wave fronts as they approach the shoreline at an angle, caused by variations in water depth.

Q4: When is this formula most applicable?
A: This formula is most applicable for sandy coastlines with relatively uniform sediment characteristics and moderate wave conditions.

Q5: What are the limitations of the CERC formula?
A: The formula may be less accurate for complex coastlines, mixed sediment sizes, or extreme wave conditions where other transport mechanisms dominate.