The characterisation of South African sea storms

[摘要] This research provides and overview of sea storms around the South African Coast in termsof weather types, characteristic wave statistics, storm processes and wave energy.Sea Storm Profiles are unique to the particular storm events causing them, but they can beassociated with Equivalent Wave Energy (EWE) Storm Profiles, which are representative ofthem and have a linear, symmetric, 'Capital Lambda ( Λ ), shape. The actual storm profileand the EWE Profile are equivalent in wave energy, and the benefit of the EWE is that it isregular and can be can be readily compared with another EWE Storm Profile for analysis,and for the comparison of impacts.The ability to compare the impacts of Sea Storms from different areas, on the basis ofcharacteristic Equivalent Wave Energy (EWE) Storm Profiles within the South AfricanCoastal Regions, is considered to be advantageous. This will allow Engineers to apply theknowledge gained in one area to another with a similar EWE Storm Profile, with moreconfidence.There will always be the need for site-specific investigations, data recording, data analysisand interpretations in Coastal Engineering Work, but one needs to start with anunderstanding of the general nature of the coastal region in which one is working. Thisresearch adds to the background 'Body of Knowledge relating to the character of the seastorms in the Regions around South Africa.The study is based on a literature survey of atmospheric weather, sea wave theory and waveclimates, as well as the analysis of weather and sea state data at selected recording stationsaround the South African Coastline.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University