Statistics Applied to Wave Climate on a Beach Profile

Abstract

One of the most important subjects in coastal engineering is the forecasting of wave climate evolution along a beach profile and its associated probability.

Many authors have dealt with this problem proposing different CDFs (Cumulative Distribution Functions) and statistical descriptors evolution. One of these works suggests that, for a given sea state, the parameters of the local (at a given point of the profile) wave height CDF depend on the local value ofkh and offshore wave parameters. Therefore, it is possible to describe the evolution of the probability distribution of wave heights on a beach profile provided its geometry is known as well as the statistical descriptors of wave oscillation approaching the beach profile (offshore the depth of closure). This model has been validated for waves approaching the beach with normal incidence

This paper intends to step forward on this work by describing the statistical properties of other local wave parameters such as the maximum wave height. Conditional distributions are also described for two consecutive local wave heights, for consecutive offshore wave parameters (wave height or wave period) and for the most relevant offshore wave parameters (wave height and wave period).

All the information provided in this model will be useful for estimating sediment transport and, therefore, how a beach profile and planform will evolve in time.