Field Measurements of Nearshore Wave Environment at Cape Canaveral, Florida and Kings Bay, Georgia.

Abstract : Two wave measuring systems have been installed at Cape Canaveral, Florida and Kings Bay, Georgia, respectively. The technique required to continuously measure waves in a nearshore zone for a long period of time often involves problems different from those encountered when measuring in deep water. The instruments used for the systems, selection of the sites, installation and retrieval procedures, and data analysis have been reported here. The measurement program started at Cape Canaveral and was later applied to Kings Bay. The systems were upgraded to measure directional waves in December 1983. Among the wave measuring systems, three measure directional wave spectra, mean currents and water depths. The quality of data and data recovery rate of each system at a specific site have been evaluated and reported here. Some hardware modifications have been made to ensure the operation of the instruments and to achieve a higher data recovery rate. The measured wave data show different characteristics at each site although the same offshore storms pass through these nearshore zones. The data have been used to calibrate the shallow water wave model (SWWM), to develop a nearshore wave climatology, and to compute ship responses during navigation channel transiting.