Author(s): Jen-Men Lo; N. Al-Amer
Linked Author(s): J.M. Lo
Keywords: Coastal structure; Shallow-water wave; Deep-water wave; Waveprediction; Wind measurement
Abstract: There is a need to determine the 50-yr maximum return wave conditions for one of the coastal development projects in Kuwait's southern coastal area. Due to the absence of the long-term wind measurement for the coast of Kuwait, the 50-yr maximum return wind conditions for the coast of Kuwait were determined using the 34-yr land-based (about 16 km in land) wind measurements. The Gumbel extreme value distribution method was first used to determine the relation of the maximum wind speed with the return period (extreme value equation) for different wind directions at the land station using the land-based wind measurement. Then, the wind data recorded at the coastal station are assumed to have the same slope in the extreme value equation for each wind direction as the extreme value equation slope determined for the same direction from the land-based wind measurement. The constant term of the extreme value equation for each wind direction at the coastal station was later determined using the 5-yr maximum return wind data for each direction recorded at the coastal wind station. Then the 50-yr maximum return wind speed for each direction at the coastal area was calculated using the predetermined extreme value equations for the coastal station. The revised Sverdrup-Munk-Bretschneider (SMB) method was used to determine the 50-yr maximum deep-water wave conditions using the predicted coastal maximum return wind conditions. A wave refraction numerical model was used to predict the 50-yr maximum return wave conditions near the proposed coastal development area from the given 50-yr maximum deep-water wave conditions.
Year: 2001