Shallow-Water Waves: Island Edition

 

Course Description

As deep-water waves approach the coast, they interact with the seafloor and transition into shallow-water waves. Around Pacific Islands, these processes occur in reef-lined environments that differ significantly from broad, sandy continental shelves. Using an interactive wave calculator and Pacific Island examples, this lesson explores how waves shoal, refract, break, dissipate, and produce coastal run-up and set-up over fringing reefs. Learners will investigate a variety of island wave scenarios, including long-period ocean swells, short-period wind waves, and mixed swell conditions, and examine how fore-reef slope, reef-flat depth and width, bathymetry, changing water levels, and island shadowing influence wave transformation. These island processes are compared with those found along typical continental coastlines. It is recommended that learners complete the original Shallow Water Waves lesson before taking this course, as this lesson builds on foundational concepts and applies them to reef-fringed island environments.

 

Intended Audience

“Shallow-Water Waves: Island Edition” is designed primarily for Pacific Island forecasters who produce marine forecasts and need to understand how local reef and coastal characteristics influence wave conditions. The lesson will also benefit anyone interested in shallow-water wave processes around islands, including coastal resource managers, fishermen, surfers, recreational boaters, snorkelers, and other marine forecast users who want to better interpret nearshore wave conditions.

 

Course Access

You can access the course here (MetEd login required).

 

Questions or Comments? 

We welcome any comments or questions you may have regarding the content, instructional approach, or use of this lesson. Please e-mail your comments or questions to Erin Houlihan (ehoulihan@ucar.edu) or Andrea Smith (asmith5@ucar.edu). For technical support, please visit our Registration and Support FAQs: https://www.meted.ucar.edu/help