i

DIRECTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WAVES OFF

HONNAVAR

Dissertation submitted to
COCHIN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Technology
In
Ocean Technology

By
K A ABHINAV
(Reg. No. 56080002)

Under the Guidance of

Dr. V Sanilkumar
Scientist
Ocean Engineering Division
National Institute of Oceanography
Dona Paula, Goa 403 004

ii

Declaration

I hereby declare that the dissertation entitled Directional Characteristics of
Waves off Honnavar is an authentic record of work done by me on the basis of
available literature and data, and to the best of my ability under the guidance of
Dr. V Sanilkumar, Scientist, Ocean Engineering Division, National Institute of
Oceanography, Goa and no part thereof has been presented before for the award
of any other Degree or Diploma in any University.

K A Abhinav

Countersigned

Dr. V Sanilkumar
Scientist
Ocean Engineering Division
National Institute of Oceanography
Goa

Dona Paula, Goa
30 March 2010

iii

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the dissertation entitled Directional Characteristics of
Waves off Honnavar is an authentic record carried out by Mr. K A Abhinav, at the
National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, under my supervision in the partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of
Technology in Ocean Technology of Cochin University of Science and
Technology and no part thereof has been presented before for the award of any
other Degree or Diploma in any University.


Dr. V Sanilkumar
Scientist
Ocean Engineering Division
National Institute of Oceanography
Dona Paula, Goa

Dona Paula, Goa
30 March 2010



iv

Acknowledgements

I express my sincere gratitude to Dr. S.R Shetye, Director, National Institute of

Oceanography, Goa, for providing me with an opportunity to pursue my dissertation in
the prestigious organization. I am grateful to Dr. V Sanilkumar, Scientist, Ocean
Engineering Division, for his guidance, sans which this dissertation could not have seen
the light of day. I sincerely acknowledge the help rendered by Dr. V.K Banakar and Mr.
V.K Kumar of HRD, NIO, during my stay at the institute.
I would like to thank Dr. A N Balchand, Head, Department of Physical
Oceanography, Cochin University of Science and Technology, for his constant support
and encouragement. I extent my gratitude to Dr. R Sajeev, Shri. P.K Saji, Dr Benny N
Peter and other staff members of Department of Physical Oceanography, CUSAT.
Many thanks to Dr. P A Brodtkorb, of the WAFO Group, Lund University,
Sweden, for being patient with my doubts. Also, I am deeply indebted to my classmates
and seniors for their suggestions, which proved to be of much help with my dissertation.

K A Abhinav
30 March 2010

Abstract

Wave directional information has tremendous application potential in the domain

of ocean engineering. These vary from the design and operational safety of marine
structures and ships, to coastal and environmental management, including pollution
control. The information required, ranges from the predominant wave direction to
spectral peak period and directional spread.
The thesis is directed towards the determination and analysis of the directional
wave characteristics off Honnavar, a port town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka,
South India. The concept of the ocean wave spectra has been explained. A wave
spectrum depicts the distribution of wave energy with frequency. This has been followed
up with a brief discussion of the various theoretical spectra developed over the years.
The data was obtained using a directional Waverider buoy, deployed at a depth
of 9m, off Honnavar coast. The specifications of the buoy used for the study, its
composition, and working, mooring and spectral computations have been described.
A review of the available literature regarding wave spectral partitioning and swell-
wind sea identification has been performed. According to Portilla et.al. (2009), the
former is a mechanism to detect different wave systems, looking at the morphological
features of the spectral signal alone, whereas the latter labels wind sea or swell as a
supplementary designation, considering both environmental and physical
characteristics.
A one-dimensional spectral partitioning algorithm has been developed adhering
to the suggestions of Portilla et.al and has been checked for robustness. Also, the
performance of three swell identification methods has been compared.
From the study, it has been concluded that the algorithm proposed by Portilla
et.al (2009) for the separation of wind seas and swells works out consistently when
compared to the steepness method and Wang and Hwangs (2001) method, in the case
vi

of nearshore waters. The nature of the components of the wave spectra, has been
identified and compared, during the monsoon, pre-monsoon and post-monsoon months
of June, April and November.
A toolbox in MATLAB, WAFO (Wave Analysis for Fatigue and Oceanography),
developed by the Lund University, Sweden, has been used for deriving the directional
wave spectra and the spreading functions from the raw data of the Waverider buoy. The
various methods offered by WAFO for computing directional wave spectra from time
series data have also been compared. The Iterative Maximum Likelihood Method
(IMLM) is found to perform better than the Extended Maximum Entropy Method (EMEM)
and the Maximum Likelihood Method (MLM).














vii

Contents

Page No.
Declaration ii
Certificate iii
Acknowledgements iv
Abstract v
List of Figures ix
List of symbols x
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
1.1 General 2
1.2 Waves 2
1.3 Importance of Wave Directional Analysis 3
1.4 Objectives of the Study 3
1.5 Study Area 4
1.6 Data Collection 6
1.7 Organization of the Thesis 7
Chapter 2 Literature Review 8
2.1 General 9
2.2 Typical Wave Spectra 9
2.3 Theoretical Wave Spectra 13
2.3.1 The Pierson-Moskowitz spectrum 13
2.3.2 The Bretschneider Spectrum 14
2.3.3 The Ochi Spectrum 14
2.3.4 The JONSWAP Spectrum 15
2.3.5 The Donelan et al Spectrum 15
2.3.6 The Scott Spectrum 16
viii

2.4 Directional Wave Spectra 16

2.4.1 Computation of Directional Wave Spectra 16
2.4.2 WAFO: Analysis of Wave Spectra 19
2.4.2.1 The Origins of WAFO 19
2.4.2.2 WAFO 2.1.1 19
2.5 Spectral Partitioning 20
2.5.1 Basic Concepts 20
2.5.2 Significance 21
2.5.3 Timeline of Spectral Partitioning 22
2.5.4 Proposed 1D Partition Algorithm 23
2.6 Wind sea-swell Separation Schemes in Nearshore Waters 24
2.6.1 General 24
2.6.2 Characteristics of Wind sea and Swell Spectra 24
2.6.3 Data 26
2.6.4 Methods 26
Chapter 3 Results and Discussions 30
3.1 Spectral Partitioning 31
3.2 Wave Characteristics 32
3.3 Separation of Swell and wind sea 32
3.4 Directional Wave Spectra 41
Chapter 4 Conclusions 46
Chapter 5 References and Bibliography 48




ix

List of Figures

No. Description Pg. No.
1. Location of wave measurement 5
2. Mooring Layout for the Directional Waverider 7
3. Sample spectrum shapes 10
4. Single-peaked wave spectra at Honnavar 12
5. Two peaked wave spectra at Honnavar 12
6. Multi peaked wave spectra at Honnavar 13
7. Partitioning of Waverider buoy spectrum obtained at 2125 hrs, 08-05-08 31
8. Separation frequency estimated from different methods 34
9. Variation of sea peak frequency and peak frequency with wind speed 35
10. Time series of separation frequency during April, June and November 2008 36
11. Representative wave spectral plots 38
12. Variation of sea and swell height during April, June and November 2008 39
13. Correlation between wind sea and swell and between wind sea and wind speed 40
14. 1-D spectra, directional spreading and directional spectra at 1930 hrs 01-06-08 43
15. 1-D spectra, directional spreading and directional spectra at 2330 hrs 09-06-08 44
16. 1-D spectra, directional spreading and directional spectrum at 1930 hrs 01-06-08 45

List of Symbols

a
i
, b
i
- Fourier coefficients
C
p
- phase speed
f
m
- peak frequency of steepness function
f
p
- peak frequency
f
PM
- peak frequency of the PM spectrum
f
s
- separation frequency
g - acceleration due to gravity
H
s
- significant wave height
L - wavelength
m, n - centered Fourier coefficients
m
0
- zeroth moment
S(f) - spectral density
T
m02
- average wave period
U
10
- wind speed at 10m
- Phillips constant
- peak enhancement factor

c
- limiting angular frequency
- spectral width factor
- wave direction

m
- peak angular frequency


1

1. Introduction


2

1. Introduction

1.1 General
Offshore and coastal infrastructures are fast developing, due to the increase in
marine traffic and commerce over the recent years. Directional wave studies have
become an integral element in the design of any marine structure, be it a wharf, or a
pipeline. The longevity and robustness of the structure depends on deciding the
orientation that would shelter it from the impact of the wave forces. The directional wave
spectrum concept, though of recent origin, has garnered much vitality in the design
practices. Reliable directional data helps in the cost optimization for marine structures.

1.2 Waves
Water waves may be grouped, on the basis of several criteria. SPM (1984)
suggests classification by period or frequency. Gravity waves, having periods ranging
from 5 to 15 seconds, named after their principal restoring force, are of primary concern
in engineering design practices, as they are associated with a major portion of the total
wave energy.
Gravity waves can be classified into two, wind seas and swells. The former refers
to waves locally generated under the influence of the wind, whereas the latter
represents those travelling from afar, often caused by large scale meteorological
operations such as a storm, and liberated from the effect of winds. Of shorter periods,
the wind seas produce confused sea surfaces (SPM, 1984). They act as forced
vibrations, while swells are free waves, independent on the causative forces.
Wind seas are a result of the wind speed, the stretch over which it blows (fetch),
the width of the fetch, the water depth and the duration of the wind action, working in
tandem. The magnitude of the wind sea varies directly as those of the influencing
parameters. Seas gradually move out of their generating area, gets organized on the
3

basis of their wavelengths and direction and are called swells when no longer under the
influence of the originating wind forces.

1.3 Importance of the Wave Directional Analysis
The exposure of a beach, harbor or any coastal structure to wave activity is
heavily influenced by the directional wave characteristics at the site under
consideration. Directional information is vital for estimating the sediment transport rates
and the wave loads on marine structures, both fixed and floating. Multidirectional seas
induce forces and extracts responses differing in magnitude from those due to
unidirectional ones. Hindcasting and forecasting of waves and wave diffraction studies
also require information regarding their directional characteristics.
Wave directional properties greatly affect the transformation processes such as
diffraction, reflection and refraction. Directional data regarding swells are being used for
water sports activities, as in the case of surfing. Directional wave spectral estimates find
further applications in ship routing, safety at sea and in validating and constraining
numerical wave forecasting models and remotely sensed observations.
Collins (1981) states that the use of spectral models which neglect the directional
spreading of wave energy, could overestimate up to 20%, the significant wave heights.
This could have serious implications, in the design of coastal structures.

1.4 Objectives of the Study
The study has been carried out using time series wave data collected off
Honnavar with a view to:
a) develop an algorithm for the partitioning of wave spectra into the component
wave systems
b) compare the performance of existing swell-wind sea separation schemes in
nearshore waters.
4

c) determine the directional properties of component wave systems, during the

monsoon, pre and post monsoon periods.
d) analyze the directional wave spectra at the location for various seasons.
1.5 Study Area
Honnavar is a port town within the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. It can be
located on the geographical coordinate system, at 14.28 North latitude and 74.44 East
longitude. Honnavar is situated on the banks of the river Sharavathi, which forms an
estuary with the Arabian Sea (Figure 1).
The study area falls under the coastal agro climatic zone and is characterized by
the presence of coastal alluvial soil. The region experiences predominant south westerly
winds during the summer monsoon and north easterlies during the winter monsoon. The
year can be classified into four major seasons. The months of January and February
represent the dry season, characteristic of clear and bright climate. During March to
May, hot weather sets in, though thunderstorms are common during the latter. The
monsoon season (June-September) yields around 75% to 90% of the annual rainfall
and is followed by the post monsoon (October-December) (Central Groundwater Board,
Govt. of India, 2008).
Honnavar can be considered as a micro-mesotidal region, as the tide range falls
between 1 and 2.5m. As the orientation of the coast is along north-northwest, winds
approaching from the west during the months of April, May and early June, produces
stress in the southward direction, whereas those coming from the southwest, generates
wind stress northward and are responsible for the surface currents in the respective
direction. During the pre-monsoon, curved, submerged sandbars are observed at the
confluence of the Sharavathi with the Arabian Sea (Hegde et al. 2009).

5

Fig.1. Location of wave measurement.

6

1.6 Data Collection

The waves at 9 m water depth off Honnavar were measured using the Datawell
directional waverider buoy. The directional waverider is a spherical, 0.9m diameter buoy
which measures wave height, period and direction. The directional measurement is
based on the translational principle that measures horizontal motions instead of wave
slopes. Hence the measurement is independent of buoy roll motions and its size is
significantly reduced. Sufficient symmetrical horizontal buoy response even for small
motions at low frequencies is ensured by a single point vertical mooring.
Installed within the buoy are, a heave-pitch-roll Hippy-40 sensor, three axis
fluxgate compass, two fixed x and y accelerometers and a micro-processor.
From the accelerations measured in the x and y directions of the moving buoy
reference frame, the accelerations along the fixed, horizontal, north and west axis are
calculated. All three accelerations are digitally integrated to get filtered displacements
with a high frequency cut-off at 0.58Hz. Every half hour, Fast Fourier Transforms of 8
series of 256 data points are summed to give 16 degrees of freedom on 1600 seconds
of data.
Transmitting power is saved by compressing the real time data to motion along
the west, north and vertical. Onboard data reduction computes energy density, main
direction, directional spread and the normalized second harmonic of the directional
distribution. The Directional Waverider is fitted with a 5kg ballast chain attached to the
mooring eye (Figure 2). This provides stability only when a small vertical mooring force
is present. A single point vertical mooring with 15 m rubber cord ensures sufficient
symmetrical horizontal buoy response for motions at low frequencies. The low stiffness
of the rubber cord allows the Waverider to follow waves up to 40m. Current velocities up
to 3 m/s can be accommodated (Datawell BV).
7

Fig.2. Mooring Layout for the Directional Waverider.

1.7 Organization of the Thesis
A general introduction to the nature and scope of the work carried out during the
course of the dissertation, along with a description of the study area and the data
collection, encompasses the current chapter. The theoretical formulations and concepts
on the basis of which the study has been carried out are explained in the second
section. The third chapter comprises the results obtained on the analysis of the data
and their interpretations. In the final chapter the conclusions on the work are presented.
8

2. Literature Review

9

2. Literature Review
2.1 General
Winds account for majority of the ocean waves. Planetary forces are responsible
for driving tides, which results in the generation of long period waves of the order of 12
to 24 hours. The other major driving forces are earthquakes. Tsunami, a rare, but
catastrophic phenomenon is the result of major quakes that take place adjacent to the
coast.
As wind begins to blow (between 0.5 to 2 knots) on calm surface small ripples or
capillary waves tend to form. These small waves are on the order of less than 2 cm. As
the wind becomes stronger wave amplitude increases and the waves become longer in
order to satisfy the dispersion relationship. This growth is driven by the Bernoulli effect,
frictional drag, and separation drag on the wave crests.
Winds blowing over long periods of time and larges distances contribute to the
formation of a fully developed sea state. When the phase speed of the wave crest
matches the wind speed non-linear interactions except friction stop and the phase
speed is maximized. The limiting frequency of the waves can be determined by the
equation for phase speed and the dispersion relationship:
Cp = uw =
o
k
= g (2.1a)
c = guw (2.1b)
where Cp is the phase speed, uw the wind speed and c, the limiting frequency. Decay
in the wind, slowly erodes the waves. Smaller the wavelength, faster is the dissipation.

2.2 Typical Wave Spectra
The single environmental factor exerting maximum influence on the design and
operation of marine structures are waves. Being amongst the most complex and
10

variable phenomena in nature, it is difficult to obtain a complete understanding of their

behavior.
The potential and kinematic energies of random waves are represented by the
wave spectral density function, or the wave spectrum. This concept is of much
significance in evaluating the statistical properties of random waves. The wave energy
at any point has got angular distribution, as well as a distribution over a range of
frequencies. The angular or directional distribution of wave energy is termed as
directional spreading.
The wave energy distribution with respect to the frequency alone, disregarding
the wave direction is known as the frequency spectrum, whereas the energy distribution
represented as a function of both frequency and direction is called the directional wave
spectrum (Goda, 2000). Figure 3 shows some of the sample spectrum shapes.


Fig.3. Sample spectrum shapes.


11

Wave spectra are influenced by the following parameters:

Sea state, whether the sea is a developing one or a decaying one.
Fetch limitations, as to whether the area under consideration has some physical
boundary, that prevent the waves from developing fully.
Strong local currents have a marked effect on the spectrum.
Seafloor topography: Deep water wave spectra are invalid in shallow waters, and
vice versa.
Wave refraction also has a significant influence.
Waves caused by distant storms, or swells, travel large distances and arrive at
an angle different from the wind direction. While measuring waves, the
component that result from swell must be accounted for, separately.
The area under the curve is the zeroth moment m
0
, which, for a narrow-banded
spectrum, is related to the significant wave height, H
s,
as follows:
H
s
= 4m
0
(2.2a)
In the case of multi-peaked spectra, it is assumed that a single storm produces a
single-peaked spectrum and any second peak is due to a distant storm that sends
waves to the considered location.

The following half-hour wave spectral plots (Figures 4, 5 and 6) were generated
from the raw data of a Directional Waverider, with the help of Wave Analysis for Fatigue
and Oceanography (WAFO), a wave analysis toolbox developed in MATLAB. All data
were obtained from Honnavar and the corresponding date and time are indicated in
each plot. Spectra have been classified on the basis of the number of peaks formed.
Each peak corresponds to an individual wave system, contributing to the energy of the
spectra.


12

Fig.4. Single-peaked wave spectra at Honnavar.

Fig.5. Two-peaked spectra observed at Honnavar.
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
Frequency(Hz)
S
p
e
c
t
r
a
l

D
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
m
2
/
H
z
)


fp = 0.069 [Hz]
13-03-08 2201 hrs
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
0.4
Frequency(Hz)
S
p
e
c
t
r
a
l

D
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
m
2
/
H
z
)


fp1 = 0.068 [Hz]
fp2 = 0.2 [Hz] 16-03-08 0100hrs
13

Fig.6. Multi-peaked wave spectra observed at Honnavar.

2.3 Theoretical Wave spectra
Some of the theoretical representations of the wave spectra developed over the
years, using data collected by oceanographic platforms and satellites are briefly
discussed:
2.3.1 The Pierson-Moskowitz spectrum
This spectrum (Pierson and Moskowitz, 1964) is representative of the following
conditions: unidirectional seas, North Atlantic Ocean, fully developed local wind
generation with unlimited fetch. It is depicted as:
S
+
() =
8.1
1u
3
g
2

5
c
-0.032(g H
s
o
2
)
2

where H
s
is the significant wave height,
E
s
= E
1
3
,
= 4H
0

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
Frequency(Hz)
S
p
e
c
t
r
a
l

D
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
m
2
/
H
z
)


fp1 = 0.081 [Hz]
fp2 = 0.24 [Hz]
fp3 = 0.29 [Hz]
13-03-08 0901hrs
14

and
m
is the peak frequency,

m
= u.4(
g
E
s
)
The most critical of these assumptions is the fully developed sea, as it is possible
to achieve a larger heave response for a platform from a developing sea, even
though the significant wave height may be smaller than that of a fully developed
sea, since the peak frequency is higher and heave motions tend to have higher
natural frequencies. For a rolling ship, the decaying sea might excite a larger roll
motion, since the natural frequency of roll tends to be low.
2.3.2 The Bretschneider Spectrum
The limitation of fully developed seas lead to the emergence of a two parameter
spectrum, the Bretschneider spectrum, (Bretschneider, 1963), which later
replaced the Pierson-Moskowitz spectrum as the ITTC standard.
S
+
() =
1.2S
4

m
4

5
E
s
c
-125(o
m
o)
4

where H
s
is the significant wave height. The spectrum can be used for sea
states of varying severity, by allowing the user to specify the model frequency
and significant wave height.
2.3.3 The Ochi Spectrum
The Ochi Spectrum (Ochi and Hubble, 1976) is a three parameter spectrum that
allows the user to specify the significant wave height, the peak frequency, and
the steepness of the spectrum peak.
S
+
() =
1
4
(
4z +1
4

m
4
)
x
(z)

2

4x+1
cxp _-_
4z +1
4
] [

4
_
is the parameter that controls the spectrum steepness. It has a limitation that
it considers only unidirectional seas and unlimited fetch. The Ochi spectrum can
specify the severity of the spectrum (), the state of development (
m
) and isolate
the important frequency range by dictating the spectrum width, thus accounting
for swell from a distant storm.
15

2.3.4 The JONSWAP Spectrum

The JONSWAP spectrum was developed by the Joint North Sea Wave Project
for limited fetch, in 1968 and 1969, along a line extending over 160 km into the
North Sea, from Sylt Island (Hasselmann et. al, 1973) , taking into consideration,
over 2000 spectra, employing a method of least squares. It is important as it
takes into account, the growth of waves over a limited fetch and wave attenuation
in shallow water. It finds extensive applications in the offshore industry.
S() = og
2
(2n)
-4

-5
c
-5
4
(] ]
p
)
-4
y
c
-(]-]
p
)
2c
2
]
p
2

where S(f) is the spectral energy, is the Phillips constant with a value of 0.0081,
g is the acceleration due to gravity, f is the wave frequency and f
p
, the frequency
corresponding to the peak value of the energy spectrum. Also, = 0.07, for
values of f<f
p
and =0.09, for all other values of f.
For high waves along the Indian coast, Sanil Kumar and Ashok Kumar (2008)
estimated the JONSWAP parameters as follows:
o = u.18E
s
1.52
I
p
-3.53
I
m02
1.34
,
y = 8.S8E
s
0.57
I
p
-1.26
I
m02
0.41
.
H
s
, T
p
and Tm
02
represents the significant wave height, the spectral peak period
and the mean wave period, respectively. Sea state is generally represented in
terms of these parameters.

2.3.5 The Donelan et al Spectrum
Donelan et al (1985), on the basis of the assumption that the high-frequency tail
of the spectrum decays proportional to f
-4
, and supported by vast laboratory and
field data, proposed the following fetch limited spectrum:
S() =
og
2
|2n]
4

p
cxp _-_

p
_
-4
_ y
cxpj-(]-]
p
)
2
2c
2
]
p
2
, [





16

2.3.6 The Scott Spectrum

Scott (1965) spectrum is expressed in terms of H
s,
as given below:
s() = u.214E
s
2
cxp _-_
( -
p
)
2
u.u6S( -
p
+u.26)
__
for 0.26<(-
p
)<1.65. For all other values, s() tends to 0, where s() is the
spectral energy at angular wave frequency and
p
is the peak angular wave
frequency.
Sanil Kumar and Ashok Kumar (2008) found out that the measured wave spectra
along the shallow waters of the Indian coast can be represented using the JONSWAP
spectrum. The Scott spectrum, on the other hand, significantly underestimates the
maximum spectral energy of high waves.
2.4 Directional Wave Spectra
The sea state observed at any point comprises waves of different heights and
periods, approaching from various directions. Therefore, directional information forms
an integral part of the complete description of the sea state. The 2D directional wave
spectrum represents the distribution of wave elevation variance as a function of both
wave frequency, f and wave direction, . A directional wave spectrum can be
represented as:
E(, 0) = S(). (, 0)
where, ] (, 0)
n
-n
J0 = 1
S(f) being the omnidirectional wave spectrum and D(f, ) the frequency-dependent
directional distribution.
2.4.1 Computation of Directional Wave Spectra
Wave direction spectrum is computed, taking into consideration, displacements in all the
three mutually perpendicular directions. From the time series of north, west and vertical
(n, w and v), displacements, the three corresponding Fourier series are calculated.
Thus, six Fourier components per frequency f are obtained in the following vector form:
17

A
nf
=
nf
+ i
nf
(2.4.1a)
A
wf
=
wf
+ i
wf
(2.4.1b)
A
vf
=
vf
+ i
vf
(2.4.1c)
Now, the co (C) and quad (Q) spectra are calculated, both of which are 3x3 matrices.
By definition: Q
nn=
Q
vv=
Q
ww
=0
Q represents rotation. A rotation component directed vertically represents eddy currents
that are not part of the physics of waves and hence, Q
wn
=Q
nw
=0. Rotation is clearly
evident for waves breaking in the surf zone. According to the right-handed screw law, a
wave rolling eastward will have a rotation component directed to the north and hence
Q
vw
0 and Q
wv
0.
Thus, we have the co and quad spectra as follows:
_
C
ww
C
wn
C
wu
C
nw
C
nn
C
nu
C
w
C
un
C
uu
_ Co-spectra (2.4.1d)
_
u u
w
u u
n

w

n
u
_ Quad-spectra (2.4.1e)
From these components, important wave parameters such as direction, ellipticity
and directional spread can be computed. The first four Fourier coefficients of the
normalized directional wave distribution G (,f) are defined as:
o
1
=

n
(C
nn
+C
ww
)C

b
1
=
-
n
(C
nn
+C
ww
)C

o
2
=
C
nn
-C
ww
C
nn
+C
ww

b
2
=
-2C
nw
C
nn
+C
ww

0(0, ) =
1
n
]
1
2
+m
1
cos(0 -0
0
) +m
2
cos 2(0 -0
0
) +n
2
sin2(0 -0
0
) +

18

where,

0
=arctan(b
1
,a
1
)
m
1
= (o
1
2
+b
1
2
)
m
2
= a
2
cos 2
0
+ b
2
sin2
0

n
2
= -a
2
sin 2
0
+ b
2
cos2
0

The m- and n- coefficients are known as the centered Fourier coefficients (Kuik
et al., 1988) or the second harmonic of the directional energy distribution recalculated to
the mean wave direction.

Wave direction
D=
0
=arctan(-Q
wv
, Q
nv
)
Directional spread
S= (2-2m
1
)
Wave ellipticity or 1/K, where K is the check factor,
e =
1
K
= _
C

C
nn
+C
ww

Wave ellipticity is indicative of its shape and its variation with wave frequency, of
the local depth. For wavelengths much smaller than the depth, ellipticity nears one, as
the waves describe circular orbits. On the other hand, if the wavelength nears or
exceeds the depth, the vertical displacements are smaller than the horizontal ones and
ellipticity falls below 1.


19

2.4.2 WAFO: Analysis of Wave Spectra

WAFO (Wave Analysis for Fatigue and Oceanography) is a toolbox of MATLAB
routines, developed at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences of the Lund University,
Sweden.
2.4.2.1 The Origins of WAFO
Research in mathematical statistics has been carried out in the Lund University,
since the 1970s, a major breakthrough of which was the Fatigue Analysis Toolbox
(FAT), formulated in 1993. The Wave Analysis Toolbox (WAT, 1995) focused on solving
oceanographic problems, while maintaining the load analysis procedures of FAT.
WAFO derives from both FAT and WAT and is based on the routines written by the
WAFO group headed by Per Andreas Brodtkorb and Par Johannesson of the Lund
University. The first version of WAFO was released in January 2000 and was followed
up with versions 2.1 and 2.1.1 in 2004 and 2005 respectively.
WAFO contains tools for fatigue analysis, sea modeling, statistics and
numerics. The modular structure of WAFO makes it possible to integrate purpose
specific user-defined functions with the toolbox, as and when the need arises. WAFO
2.1.1 has been used to simulate both frequency and directional wave spectra obtained
from Honnavar, during the period of study.
2.4.2.2 WAFO 2.1.1
WAFO 2.1.1 makes use of the raw data from the waverider buoy to compute the
spectra. Raw data is in the form of text files, containing four comma separated integers,
indicating the status, heave, north and west directional displacements, all in
centimeters, sampled at a frequency of 1.28 Hz. Individual records are obtained every
half hour.
The alternatives available for determining the one-sided spectral density in
WAFO 2.1.1 are Welchs Average Periodogram method, Burgs method and Maximum
Entropy method. The smoothness of the resultant spectra is a function of the maximum
lag size of the window function used in the transform (The WAFO Group, 2000).
20

The data-adaptive methods offered by WAFO 2.1.1 for the estimation of

directional wave spectra from time series data are the Maximum Likelihood (MLM), the
Iterative Maximum Likelihood (IMLM), the Maximum Entropy (MEM) and the Extended
Maximum Entropy (EMEM) methods. Compared to a directional Fourier series
expansion, the MLM and MEM provide better directional resolution (Earle et al., 1999).
2.5 Spectral Partitioning
2.5.1 Basic Concepts
Double and multi-peaked wave spectra are often a result of the co-existence of
locally generated wind sea and swells originating from distant storms. Inter-comparison
of such multi-peaked directional wave spectra proves to be a difficult task. Spectral
partitioning involves the splitting of the ocean wave spectra into components
representing the original wave systems. The spectrum is separated into a number of
distinct segments, which relate to the various peaks in it. The basis for this process
derives from the fact that wave systems originating from different uncorrelated
meteorological events can be assumed to be independent.
A partition represents a wave system, corresponding to a certain meteorological
event, such as a swell from a distant storm in the past or a wind sea generated by a
regional wind. Each partition is characterized by three mean parameters: its total
energy, mean direction and mean frequency.
Portilla et.al (2009), defines partitioning as the mechanism to detect wave
systems considering the morphological features of the spectral signals, alone. Partition
algorithms aim at identifying uncorrelated wave systems. The extent to which the
algorithms succeed in replicating the real ocean wave spectra is highly dependent on
the initial assumptions regarding the wave sources. Another factor contributing to the
dependability of an algorithm is the flexibility of the assumed parameters. These
parameters are purpose-specific and often are devoid of any solid mathematical or
physical base.
21

The earliest partitioning algorithms computed a separation frequency that

distinguished the wind sea portion of the spectrum from the low frequency swell
contributions. The thesis aims at the development of a one-dimensional partitioning
algorithm, on the lines of Portilla et al (2009).
2.5.2 Significance
As sea states consist of local wind-generated waves and swells of distant storms,
the wave energy spectra often show two or more spectral peaks corresponding to
different generation sources. The coexisting of wind sea and swell can significantly
affect the safety of seafarers, offshore structure designs, small boat operations and ship
passages over harbor entrance, and surf forecasting (Earle 1984). The mixed seas also
affect the dynamics of near-surface processes such as airsea momentum transfer
(Mistuyasu 1991; Dobson et al. 1994; Donelan et al. 1997; Hanson and Phillips 1999).
The ocean wave spectrum gives the distribution of wave energy among different
wave frequencies on the sea surface. Different individual wave systems, originating
from varying meteorological events give rise to the wave spectra. Integral parameters
that suitably represent a spectra composed of a single wave system, are preferred for
the interpretation and archival of voluminous datasets. However the occurrence of
simultaneous, multiple wave systems, render the integral parameters, less meaningful.
The partitioning of wave spectra into component wave systems provides an excellent
tool for data reduction.
Spectral partitioning proves advantageous while comparing datasets, or in
evaluation of model performance, as analysis at the level of wave systems provides
more insight into the processes, when compared to that of mean parameters of the
whole spectra. Further, spectral components can be analyzed in space and time, to
trace the origin of distant wave systems.
Partitioning has a potential application in the determination of wind sea and swell,
in third-generation wave models. As these components are no longer computed
separately, splitting is to be resorted to, for obtaining the necessary information.
22

2.5.3 Timeline of Spectral Partitioning

Most of the earliest partition algorithms relied on the determination of a
separation frequency, f
s
for automatic identification of the wind sea and swell
components. Wave components at frequencies higher than f
s
owe their origin to local
winds, while those at frequencies lower than f
s
arise due to distant swells. On the
assumption that the separation frequency is linearly related to the spectral peak of a
wind sea, Earle (1984), proposed an empirical relationship between the separation
frequency and the local wind speed U, based on the Pierson-Moskowitz spectrum
(Pierson and Moskowitz, 1964). The relation states that;

s
=
[
0
(2.5.3a)
where f
s
is in hertz, U in m/s and is an empirical constant.
A more desirable approach is to determine a separation frequency between the
wind sea and swell peaks from a given spectrum alone (Vartdal and Barstow 1987).
Wind sea and swell peaks can mix with spectral irregularities, which are the local
maximums in wave spectrum resulting from artifacts of random processes. Identification
of wind sea and swell peaks from the spectral irregularities may not always be very
reliable.
Gerling (1992) presented a two stage procedure for characterizing wave systems
from ocean surface gravity-wave spectral estimates. In the data-intensive first stage,
individual spectra are parameterized in terms of the directions, periods and significant
wave heights of wave systems represented in that spectrum. The latter stage involves
the association of wave systems from the spectra with similar wave systems in the
neighboring spectra.
Using an empirically determined width of the confidence intervals of the spectral
data, Rodriguez and Guedes Soares (1999) developed a procedure to differentiate the
legitimate energy peaks of wind sea and swell from the spectral irregularities caused by
the artifacts of random processes. The methods proposed by Guedes Soares (1984)
and Guedes Soares and Nolasco (1992), for peak identification, require a priori
23

knowledge of the degree of freedom (DOF) of spectral data and have to examine every
local maximum. Further, this algorithm lacks physical basis of wind wave generation
and can easily result in misidentification of wind sea and swell peaks, especially for
spectra with multiple strong swell peaks.
Based on the proposals of Gerling (1992) and Hasselmann et.al (1994), Hanson
and Phillips (2001), generated the Wave Identification and Tracking System (WITS) that
operated on a series of directional wave spectra, with supporting wind observations.
Wave spectrum peaks representing specific wind sea and swell wave systems are
extracted based on topographic minima, with wind sea peaks identified by wave age
criteria, such that wind seas lie within the parabolic boundaries defined by:
c
p
(1.S)u
10
coso (2.5.3b)
where c
p
is the phase speed of the wind sea, U
10
is the 10 m elevation wind speed and
is the angle between the wind and the wind sea.
2.5.4 Proposed 1D Partition Algorithm
A 1-D partition algorithm has been developed in MATLAB. Each local peak
represents the peak of a wave system. The trough between the peaks forms the
partition boundaries. Identification of spurious peaks is an integral fragment of any
partition algorithm. Once these spurious peaks are disregarded, the partitions tend to
get consistent.
The following are treated as spurious:
1. Partitions at the tail of the spectrum, which belongs to the wind sea.
2. Partitions with low total energy, less than 5% of the total energy of the
spectrum.
3. Two peaks which are very close to each other. 0.03 Hz was chosen as the
limiting distance.
24

4. Partitions that have a lower energy level, when compared to the neighboring
ones, are combined.
On the basis of the above criterion, the algorithm identifies the significant
partitions in the 1-D spectra. The significant wave height and energy of the partitions are
also computed.
2.6 Wind sea-swell Separation Schemes in Nearshore Waters
2.6.1 General
Portilla et al. (2009), defined identification of wind sea and swell as labeling the
wave system with wind sea or swell as a supplementary designation, taking into
account environmental and physical characteristics.
Mixed sea states are characterized by the simultaneous presence of local wind
waves and swells of distant origin, leading to multi-peakedness of the corresponding
wave energy spectrum (Hanson and Phillips, 1999). The separation of the spectrum into
sea and swell contributions is essential for marine operations and design practices.
Further, the mixed sea states have an impact on the dynamics of near surface
processes.
2.6.2 Characteristics of Wind sea and Swell Spectra
Initially, in the generation area, the waves of different periods coexist. However,
with time, the different wave components separate out from each other. Compared to
their shorter period counterparts, the waves of longer periods tend to move fast, and
reach distant sites first. In the wave generation area, energy is transferred from the
shorter period waves to the longer period ones. During their journey through the seas,
waves tend to lose a part of their energy, thanks to interactions within the fluid, and that
with the external air. Friction with the seabed and turbulence created on breaking are
other causes for the dissipation of wave energy. Short period waves tend to lose their
energy more readily, when compared to the long period ones. As a result, swells tend to
have longer periods than the wind sea.
25

Wind sea waves are characterized by their irregularity, short crests, broad
spectrum and quick response to wind variations. Swell, on the other hand, comprises
regular, long crested waves, whose evolution is rather independent on wind. Under the
effect of varying winds, swell and wind sea often overlap to produce mixed sea states,
represented by a continuous spectrum, from which the separation of the components by
automated procedures is difficult (Portilla et al., 2009).
Even though, the highest waves are associated with the wind sea, swells have
much importance in design considerations for coastal structures. Longer periods of
swell waves affect harbor studies, where sediment mobility, armor stability, overtopping
and harbor resonance are of much importance. Thus, wind sea and swell, when
coexistent, provide alternative extreme wave conditions for design.
Most separation schemes identify a separation frequency (f
s
) for a given wave
spectrum. The portion of the spectrum lying at frequencies greater than f
s
is designated
as the wind sea. Swell contributions correspond to wave components at frequencies
lower than f
s
. Wang and Gilhousen (1998), Wang and Hwang (2001), Gilhousen and
Hervey (2001) and Portilla et al. (2009), recommended different methods for separation
of sea and swell. Kumar et al. (2003) found that along the Indian coast, about 60% of
the wave spectra observed was multi-peaked and they were mainly single peaked when
the significant wave height (H
m0
) was more than 2 m.
When multi-peaked spectra are present in the nearshore, the direction of the sea
and swell is required to estimate the longshore currents and sediment transport. Hence
the separation of sea and swell from the measured wave data is of much importance.
The suitability of existing methods for separating sea and swell in nearshore water is
verified based on the wave data collected at 9 m water depth off Honnavar coast in
Karnataka, west coast of India.


26

2.6.3 Data
Waves in the open ocean at 9 m water depth off Honnavar at a location 14 18.3
N; 74 23.5 E (Figure 1) were measured using the Datawell directional waverider buoy
(Barstow and Kollstad, 1991) during March 2008 to February 2009. The measurement
location was 3 km from the coast. The oceanographic conditions along the west coast of
India are influenced by the summer monsoon (June-September). The wave
characteristics are also different during summer monsoon, pre and post monsoon
periods (Kumar and Anand, 2004). To represent the pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-
monsoon periods, the wave data collected during April, June and November 2008 is
used in the study.
The wave data were recorded continuously at 1.28 Hz. From the recorded heave
data covering 30 minutes duration, the wave spectrum was obtained through Fast
Fourier Transform (FFT). FFT of 8 series, each consisting of 256 measured vertical
elevations of the buoy data (heave), were added to obtain the spectra. The high
frequency cut off was set at 0.58 Hz. Heave was measured in the range of -20 to 20 m
with a resolution of 1 cm and an accuracy of 3%. The significant wave height (H
mo
) and
the mean wave period (T
m02
) were obtained from the spectral analysis. Wave length at
the measurement location was estimated using the wave dispersion relationship.
Reanalysis data of zonal and meridional components of wind speed at 10 m height at 6
hourly intervals from NCEP / NCAR (Kalney et al., 1996) obtained for the point (12.5 N;
72.5 E) was used in the study. These data are provided by the NOAA-CIRES Climate
Diagnostics Center, Boulder, Colorado at http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/.

2.6.4 Methods
Different methods have been proposed to derive the wind sea and swell
components from the wave spectrum. The simplest approach involves designating a
constant separation frequency or period. This approach is particularly reliable in those
areas where wind sea and swell are markedly separated in the frequency domain. The
27

energy of wind sea waves is contained at higher frequencies between 0.1 and 0.4 Hz
while swell waves have lower frequencies between 0.03 and 0.2 Hz (Portilla et al.
2009).
The spectrum, when split close to the peak frequency (f
PM
) of the Pierson-Moskowitz
spectrum (Pierson and Moskowitz, 1964), gives an idea about the wave components.

PM
= u.1S
g
0
10
(2.6.4a)
Separation frequency, f
s
is given by: f
s
= 0.8 f
PM

The factor 0.8 accounts for the uncertainties in the actual sea state or in the angular
shift between winds and waves (Earl, 1984).
Wang and Gilhousen (1998), for the National Data Buoy Centre (NDBC), USA,
devised a method for separation of sea and swell based on the wave steepness
parameter, which does not require the wind or directional information. It works on the
assumption that wind seas are steeper than swell and that maximum steepness of the
wave spectrum occurs near the peak of wind seas energy.
A wave steepness parameter, is computed at all frequencies:
() =
H
mc
(])
L(])
=
2nH
mc
(])
g1
m02
(])
2
=
8nm
2
(])
gm
0
(])
(2.6.4b)
H
s
is the significant wave height and L is the wave length associated with the average
wave period (T
m02
) that are computed from the nth moment of the wave spectrum by:
E
s
() = 4m
0
(), I
m02
() = _
m
0
(])
m
2
(])
(2.6.4c)
m
o
() = ]
n
]
l
]
l
s()J (2.6.4d)
where f
u
and f
l
are the upper and lower frequency limits of measured wave spectra. The
separation frequency is given by,
28

f
s
= Cf
x

f
x
being the frequency corresponding to the maximum of the steepness function and C
is an empirically determined constant having value of 0.75.
Gilhousen and Hervey (2001) modified the steepness method to limit the
minimum allowable separation frequency on the basis of observed wind speed. The
minimum separation frequency was determined from the peak frequency of the Pierson-
Moskowitz spectrum of a fully developed sea, at the observed wind speed:

su
=
C 1.25
0
10
(2.6.4e)
where f
su
is the separation frequency and 1.25/U
10
is the peak frequency of the Pierson-
Moskowitz spectrum at the observed wind speed adjusted to 10 m (U
10
). Empirical
constant C has a value of 0.9 (Gilhousen and Hervey, 2001). The higher of f
s
and f
su
is
taken as the separation frequency.
Wang and Hwang (2001) related the peak frequency of the steepness function,
f
m
to wind speed, through regression. The separation frequency was then set at the
frequency where wind speed equals the phase speed and an expression for separation
frequency, disregarding the wind speed, was obtained as:

s
= 4.112(
m
)
1.746
(2.6.4f)
Portilla et al. (2009) proposed a 1D separation algorithm, on the basis of the
assumption that, the energy at the peak frequency of a swell system cannot be higher
than the value of a PM spectrum with the same peak frequency. It calculates the ratio
(
*
) between the peak energy of a wave system and the energy of a PM spectrum at the
same frequency. The energy spectrum is given by:
S() = og
2
(2n)
-4

-5
c
-S
4
(] ]
p
)
-4
y
c
-(]-]
p
)
2c
2
]
p
2
(2.6.4g)

29

Where, f represents the frequency, , the Phillips constant, f

p
, the peak frequency, , the
peak enhancement factor and , the spectral width factor. In the said algorithm, is
fixed at its PM value,
PM
=0.0081, =1 and f= f
p
. If
*
is above a threshold value of 1, the
system is considered to represent wind sea, else it is taken to be swell.



















30

3. Results and Discussions

31

3. Results and Discussions

3.1 Spectral Partitioning
The 1-D partition algorithm was used to identify the significant partitions and thus
the constituent wave systems from the waverider spectra. In the following example
(Figure 7) the algorithm has been used to identify three modes in the wave spectra from
Honnavar. The data represents a spectrum, collected at 2125 hours on 08-05-2008.
0 0.2 0.4 0.6
Frequency (Hz)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
S
p
e
c
t
r
a
l

D
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
m
2
/
H
z
)
0
60
120
180
240
300
360
D
i
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

(
D
e
g
)
Wave spectra
Wave direction
Partition I
Partition II

Fig.7. Partitioning of Waverider buoy spectrum obtained at 2125 hrs, 08-05-08, at Honnavar.
32

The spectrum is made up of three modes:

1. A first peak near 15s or 0.065 Hz, due to a swell.
2. A second peak close to7s or 0.14 Hz due to wind sea.
3. A third peak near 4s or 0.24 Hz due to local sea.
The first peak signifies a swell, while the other two can be attributed to wind
sea or local sea. Wind sea is generated by a regional or seasonal wind, while local sea
is due to the effect of local winds or squalls.
The results obtained on partitioning are;
1. H
s1
=0.53 m; T
p1
=15.4 s; D
p1
=228
2. H
s2
=0.50 m; T
p2
=7.14 s; D
p2
=288
3. H
s3
=0.61 m; T
p3
=4.17 s; D
p3
=301
where H
s
stands for significant wave height, T
p
for peak wave period and D
p
is the
direction for maximum energy. For significant wave height, the relation
H
s
2
=H
s1
2
+H
s2
2
+H
s3
2
, is satisfied.
3.2 Wave Characteristics
Waves were high during June due to the influence of summer monsoon.
Significant wave heights up to 3.6m were recorded. The average H
s
was 0.7, 2.1 and
0.6 m and the average Tm
02
was 4.7, 6.4 and 5.5 s during April, June and November
respectively (Table 1). 99% of the measured waves satisfied the intermediate water
criteria (SPM, 1984). Long period swells with peak period more than 18.18 s were
present during 6 and 2% of the time during April and November.
3.3 Separation of Swell and wind sea
Figure 8(A) shows the spectra obtained at 0800 hrs on 5 November 2008 and
8(B), that at 0000 hrs on 21 April 2008 along with the separation frequencies
determined by various methods. The Wang and Hwang (2001) and original steepness
(Wang and Gilhousen, 1998) methods identify the separation frequency around 0.13
33

and 0.12 Hz respectively, thereby overestimating the wind sea contribution (Figure 8A).
Separation frequency obtained based on the modified steepness method was 0.4 Hz
and is not considered for further analysis. The method suggested by Portilla et al.
(2009), when used in combination with partitioning, is able to separate the two systems.
Due to low wind speeds (U
10
=2.8 m/s), splitting using the PM method also
resulted in a high separation frequency of about 0.36 Hz. During the period of relatively
high wind speed (4 m/s), the PM and modified steepness method estimated the
separation frequency as 0.26 and 0.29 Hz (Figure 8B). Measured data shows that even
when wind speed was less than 4 m/s, sea peak frequency varied from 0.1 to 0.5 Hz
and the peak frequency of the spectrum varied from 0.05 to 0.3 Hz during April and
November (Figure 9A & 9B). Separation frequency as per modified steepness method
for wind speed of 4 m/s is 0.28 Hz and the wind sea and swell separation using this
frequency will underestimate the wind sea.
The PM and modified steepness methods computes f
s
on the basis of wind
speed and hence during periods of fairly low wind speeds, it estimates high values and
is not used in further analysis. The separation frequency estimated using different
methods for April, June and November 2008 is presented in Figure 10 and it give a
clear idea regarding the performance of different schemes.
During April and November, Wang and Hwang (2001) designate the tail end of
the spectra, as the wind sea, while the original steepness method (Wang and
Gilhousen, 1998) overestimates the swell. Portilla et al. (2009) gives a realistic picture
during all the seasons. During the summer monsoon period (June), the curve of Wang
and Hwang (2001) closely follows that of Wang and Gilhousen (1998) and Portilla et al.
(2009), indicating their suitability for separating sea and swell of high energy spectra.

34

0 0.2 0.4 0.6

0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
S
p
e
c
t
r
a
l

D
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
m
2
/
H
z
)
(A) 05 Nov 2008 0800 hrs
0 0.2 0.4 0.6
Frequency (Hz)
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
S
p
e
c
t
r
a
l

D
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
m
2
/
H
z
)
Wave Spectra
Original Steepness method (1998)
Portilla et al.(2009)
Wang and Hwang (2001)
PM Method
Modified Steepness method (2001)
(B) 21 Apr 2008 0000 hrs

Fig.8. Separation frequency estimated from different methods.
35

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Wind Speed (m/s)
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
P
e
a
k

F
r
e
q
u
e
n
c
y

(
H
z
)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Wind Speed (m/s)
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
S
e
a

P
e
a
k

F
r
e
q
u
e
n
c
y

(
H
z
)
April 2008
June 2008
November 2008
(A)
(B)

Fig.9. Variation of (A) sea peak frequency and (B) peak frequency with wind speed.
36

91 101 111 121

0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
f
s

(
H
z
)
Steepness Method (1998)
Portilla et.al (2009)
Wang and Hwang (2001)
152 162 172 182
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
f
s

(
H
z
)
305 315 325 335
Julian Day
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
f
s

(
H
z
)
(a) April 2008
(b) June 2008
(c) November 2008

Fig.10. Time series of separation frequency estimated from different methods during (A) April,
(B) June and (C) November 2008.
37

The method of Portilla et al. (2009) was used to separate the sea and swell from
the wave spectra off Honnavar, during the pre-monsoon (April), monsoon (June) and
post-monsoon (November) periods. Contribution of wind sea is more during pre
monsoon period compared to other seasons (Figure 11A) and monsoon periods have
high energy spectra, compared to the other months (Figure 11B and 11C). The mean
wave direction is different for the swell and the sea and the wind direction matches the
mean direction of the sea (Figures 11D and 11E).
In April, during 54% of the time wind sea overrides the swell contribution (Figure
12A). During June, the spectral energy increases with the onset of summer monsoon
and swells prevails over the seas (Figure 12B). During November, most of the time the
dominance of swells is evident (Figure 12C). The contribution of swell at the
measurement location was 46, 73 and 56% during April, June and November
respectively. During 5, 1 and 8% of the time during April, June and November, the
maximum spectral energy of the sea was more than that of the swell.
The average swell direction was 230, 252 and 230 and the average sea
direction was 293, 251 and 291 during April, June and November respectively (Table
1). During June, the sea and the swell were from the same direction whereas during the
pre-monsoon period the sea was from north-west and the swell was from south-west
(Figures 12D to 12F). Swell was predominant during the summer monsoon period
(Figure 13A). Even though swells were present, good correlation (r=0.7) was found
between the wind sea and the wind speed (U) during June compared to other periods
(Figure 13B).

38

0 0.2 0.4 0.6

0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
S
p
e
c
t
r
a
l

D
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
m
2
/
H
z
)
Wave Spectra
Seperation Frequency
0 0.2 0.4 0.6
0
60
120
180
240
300
360
D
i
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

(
D
e
g
)
Wave Direction
Seperation Frequency
Wind Direction
(A) 19-Apr-08 1825hrs
0 0.2 0.4 0.6
0
4
8
12
S
p
e
c
t
r
a
l

D
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
m
2
/
H
z
)
0 0.2 0.4 0.6
Frequency (Hz)
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
S
p
e
c
t
r
a
l

D
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
m
2
/
H
z
)
0 0.2 0.4 0.6
0
60
120
180
240
300
360
D
i
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

(
D
e
g
)
0 0.2 0.4 0.6
Frequency (Hz)
0
60
120
180
240
300
360
D
i
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

(
D
e
g
)
(C) 19-Nov-08 0851hrs
(B) 19-June-08 0356hrs
(D)
(E)
(F)

Fig.11. Representative wave spectral plots with separation frequency, steepness function and
wind and mean wave direction.
39

91 101 111 121

0
1
2
3
H
s

(
m
)
152 162 172 182
0
1
2
3
H
s

(
m
)
305 315 325 335
Julian Day
0
1
2
3
H
s

(
m
)
91 101 111 121
0
60
120
180
240
300
360
D
i
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

(
D
e
g
)
Swell
Wind Sea
Wind Direction
152 162 172 182
0
60
120
180
240
300
360
D
i
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

(
D
e
g
)
305 315 325 335
Julian Day
0
60
120
180
240
300
360
D
i
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

(
D
e
g
)
(A)
April 2008
(C) November 2008
(B) June 2008
(D)
(E)
(F)

Fig.12. Variation of sea and swell height along with mean wave direction during April, June and
November 2008.
40

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5

Hs Sea (m)
0
1
2
3
4
H
s

S
w
e
l
l

(
m
)
April 2008
June 2008
November 2008
0 4 8 12 16
Wind Speed (m/s)
0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2
H
s

S
e
a

(
m
)
(A)
(B)

Fig.13. Correlation between wind sea and swell (A) and between wind sea and wind speed (B).
41

Table 1: Range and average values of wave parameters

Parameter
April 2008 June 2008 November 2008
Range Average Range Average Range Average
H
s
(m) 0.4-1.1 0.7 0.8-3.6 2.1 0.3-1.0 0.6
T
m02
(s) 3.1-7.8 4.7 4.3-8.0 6.4 3.2-9.8 5.5
H
s
swell (m) 0.2-0.8 0.4 0.3-3.3 1.8 0.2-0.8 0.4
H
s
sea (m) 0.2-1.0 0.5 0.3-2.3 1.0 0.1-0.9 0.4
T
m02
swell (s) 8.1-18.1 12.4 7.2-17.4 9.5 6.4-15.7 11.5
T
m02
sea (s) 2.6-4.7 3.5 2.8-6.4 3.8 2.3-5.6 3.7

p
(deg) 180-316 234 204-269 252 200-330 235

p
swell (deg) 180-267 230 208-269 252 194-302 230

p
sea (deg) 83-316 293 184-297 251 1-354 291
% swell 5-85 46 6-92 73 5-93 56
% sea 15-95 54 8-94 27 7-95 44
Wind
speed(m/s)
0.6-7 3.5 0.5-12.5 6.6 0.05-6.7 2.5

3.4 Directional Wave Spectra
Typical directional wave spectra obtained at the study area have been plotted
along with the corresponding one dimensional spectra and spreading functions, using
the WAFO toolbox in MATLAB. Directional spreading obtained using Maximum
Likelihood Method (MLM), Iterative Maximum Likelihood Method (IMLM) and Maximum
Entropy Method (MEM) have been compared. WAFO is able to identify the wave
systems representing significant energy values.
42

Figure 14 represents the spectrum obtained at 0900 hrs on 17 March 2008. It
corresponds to a significant wave height of 0.63m. Two wave systems prevail, swells
approaching from the south-west and local wind seas from the west. The directional
spreading function is bimodal in nature, with the peaks corresponding to the direction of
approach of the two significant wave systems.

Figure 15 portrays a swell dominated high energy spectrum, at 2330 hrs on 09
June, 2008. It has a significant wave height of 2.62 m. Swells arrive from a broad
region, spanning the south west to the north west. The contribution of the wind sea is
negligible, which results in a unimodal spreading function, peaking around west
southwest.

The spectrum in figure 16 (1930 hrs, 01 June, 2008) shows a unimodal energy
distribution, with swells approaching from the south west. The spectrum is of low
energy, with a significant wave height of 0.8m.







43

Fig.14. 1-D spectra, directional spreading and directional spectra at 1930 hrs 01-06-08.
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
Frequency [Hz]
S
(
f
)

[
m
2

s
]


0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
0 315 270 225 180 135 90
Wave directions (deg)
D
(

)


MLM
EMEM
IMLM
0
315
270
225
180
Frequency [Hz]
D
i
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

(
d
e
g
)
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
44

Fig.15. 1-D spectra, directional spreading and directional spectra at 2330 hrs 09-06-08.
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Frequency [Hz]
S
(
f
)

[
m
2
/
H
z
]


0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
0 315 270 225 180 135 90
D
(

)
Direction (deg)


IMLM
MLM
EMEM
0
315
270
225
180
Frequency [Hz]
D
i
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

(
d
e
g
)
0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.1 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.14
45

Fig.16. 1-D spectra, directional spreading and directional spectrum at 1930 hrs 01-06-08.
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
Frequency [Hz]
S
(
f
)

[
m
2
/
H
z

]


0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
0 315 270 225 180 135
90
D
(

)
Direction (deg)


IMLM
MLM
EMEM
0
315
270
225
180
Frequency [ Hz]
D
i
r
e
c
t
i
o
n

(
d
e
g
)
0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.1 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.14
46

4. Conclusions

47

4. Conclusions
The spectra used in the study were measured at 9 m, water depth off the
Honnavar coast in the west coast of India, using a directional Waverider buoy. An
algorithm for the separation of wave spectra into the components has been prepared,
on the basis of Portilla et al. (2009).
The method proposed by Portilla et al. (2009) proved to be the most consistent in
intermediate waters, for the separation of wind sea and swell, while those proposed by
Wang and Gilhousen (1998) and Wang and Hwang (2001) underestimated the wind
sea. Wang and Gilhousen (1998) and Wang and Hwang (2001) method estimated the
separation frequency reasonably well during June when the high waves were present.
The modified steepness method (Gilhousen and Hervey, 2001) and PM method
underestimates the wind sea when the wind speed is low.
The estimates of the directional spreading function, made by the Extended
Maximum Entropy Method (EMEM) are found to be bounded by those made by the
Iterative Maximum Likelihood Method (IMLM) and the Maximum Likelihood Method
(MLM). Both MLM and EMEM estimations are found to be broader than the IMLM ones.
The IMLM is found to be more consistent for the spectra under consideration. The
coexistence of wind sea and swell as in March gives bimodal directional distributions.
On the other hand, swell dominated periods have a unimodal spreading function.





48

5. References and Bibliography

49

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