Field observation and modeling of wave set-up on a macrotidal beach: the Malipo Experiment

• Published in: Journal of coastal research 2013-01, Vol.65 (sp1), p.183-188
• Main Authors: Choi, Jin-Yong, Park, Jun-Yong, Cho, Kyoung-Ho, Hyun, Sang-Kwon, Yoo, Jeseon, Lee, Dong-Young, Jun, Ki-Cheon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coastal Engineering; Malipo Beach; the combined wave-tide simulation; wave breaking index
• ISSN: 0749-0208; 1551-5036
• DOI: 10.2112/SI65-032.1

Choi, J.-Y., Park, J.-Y., Cho, K.-H., Hyun, S.-K., Yoo, J., Lee, D.-Y. and Jun, K.-C., 2013 Field observation and modeling of wave set-up on a macrotidal beach: the Malipo Experiment. Korea Research Ocean & Development Institute (KORDI: now renamed the Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, KIOST) conducted a field observation experiment (the Malipo Experiment) using a variety of wave gages and current meters simultaneously at the Malipo Beach, South Korea, from December 2009 to March 2010 in order to understand the coastal processes in a macrotidal environment. The Malipo Beach has a typical macrotidal beach environment characterized by a very gentle beach slope of 1/50 and strong tidal currents corresponding to the extreme tidal range of 7 m. As a part of this program, we observed the intertidal-zone wave set-up using a wave-rider buoy moored at 20 m water depth and seven pressure-type wave gages perpendicularly aligned to the shore at the intertidal zone for 17 days beginning from December 17th, 2009 in order to understand wave breaking and set-up characteristics in the macrotidal environment. Based on the observation data analysis, the relationship between the wave set-up and wave height at offshore (Hs,0) is η = 0.11Hs,0 showing that influence of alongshore tidal currents on the wave set-up was negligible. It was analyzed that, however, wave set-up might be influenced by shore-normal currents. The wave set-up at the study site was smaller than previous researches. It might result from its low breaking index and the wave characteristics of short wave period and wide-spreading directional spectra at the study site. Results of model simulation by combining a wave model with a circulation model showed that simulated wave set-up heights were generally lower than the measurements.