PREFACE 



The present paper by Mr. Marks is one of a number of techni- 

 cal reports on investigations dealing with the forecasting of 

 characteristics of ocean surface waves on the coast of New Jersey. 

 This project is conducted by the Department of Meteorology under 

 the sponsorship of the Beach Erosion Board, Corps of Engineers, 

 Department of the Army. The project is administered by Dr. H. K. 

 Work, Director of Research, College of Engineering, New York 

 University. 



During the work on this project it became clear that some 

 of the problems of wave propagation arising due to the complicated 

 bottom topography off the New Jersey shore could best be studied 

 by means of experiments in a ripple tank. Experimentation in such 

 a tank allows the verification of results obtained by mathematical 

 analysis. Such experimental verifications are particularly desir- 

 able when for reasons of mathematical expediency somewhat unreal- 

 istic assumptions have to be made to permit a theoretical solution. 



The cases considered in Mr. Ivlarks ' study do not include any 

 problems in which questions of the applicability of the mathematical 

 theory arise. Nevertheless, the following paper forms an important 

 part of the experimental work with the ripple tank since it demon- 

 strates the feasibility of small-scale experimental studies which 

 contribute to our knowledge of surface wave propagation in shallow 

 water and under the influence of structures erected for the pro- 

 tection of beaches. 



25 October 1951 B. Haurwitz 



Chairman 

 Department of Meteorology 



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