Course content

Ocean waves along the coast, wave statistics, wave refraction, wave diffraction, wave shoaling, wind and wave generation, tides and tidal currents, sand migration, coastal erosion and erosion control, erosion around structures due to waves and currents.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

Students should have knowledge about:

• The processes that affect ocean waves from deep water towards the coast
• How we obtain the statistical data for ocean waves from measurements and/or data based on weather observations and wave calculations
• Water level and water level changes along the coasts
• Descriptive statistics and extreme value estimation in relation to coastal engineering in general and waves in particular
• The relationship between waves, currents and sediment transport / erosion
• Practical calculations of erosion
• Erosion in coastal zones
• Coastal Dynamics
• Numerical methods for the calculation of large-scale wave propagation
• Numerical wave models for near-field wave modeling and wave load estimation
• Understanding of when to use which numerical wave model
• Estimation of design wave heights and wave loads for coastal and marine structures

Skills:

Students will be able to:

• Calculate the effect varying bottom topography, breakwater openings and similar has on waves
• Calculate sea state parameters (wave height, wave period, water levels), both in the short term and long-term perspective
• Describe measurement systems for measuring waves
• Calculating the tidal currents and sand transport in a harbor entrance
• Assess the bedforms and their impact on sand transport under different wave and current conditions
• Propose and evaluate measures to protect beaches from erosion due to waves and currents
• Use the open-source spectral wave model SWAN
• Learn and use the open-source model REEF3D for water waves, current and sediment transport

General competence:

The student has:

• A good basis to plan and carry out work in the coastal zone, with emphasis on the waves against the coast and sand transport and erosion
• The foundation for being able to read and understand journal articles and other academic literature in this field; i.e. a basis for life-long learning in the field
• Ability to judge when to involve more specialized experts

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, laboratory demonstrations and compulsory exercises.

The subject is taught in English.

Compulsory assignments

• Exercises and laboratory demonstrations

Recommended previous knowledge

TBA4265 Arctic and Marine Civil Engineering or similar.

Basic course in Fluid Mechanics.

Python.