3 Example Results and 

 Discussion 



This chapter provides example results and discussion of the wave, water level, current, 

 and wind data collected in the three time periods (February-March 1996, July- August 

 1996, and August-October 1997). Plots of most of these data are shown. This chapter 

 also includes a discussion of the sediment data collected in September 1995. 



Wave Results 



Wave height, period, and direction parameters are of interest for navigation safety and 

 predicting sediment transport rates. Analyzed wave measurements are presented in plots 

 of wave height, period, and direction at the offshore, ebb shoal, and inlet throat gauges 

 (Sites A, B, and C, respectively, in Figure 3). Discussion of the measurements is arranged 

 by wave parameter. 



Wave height 



Zero-moment wave heights for the offshore, ebb shoal, and inlet throat gauges for 

 20 February to 20 March 1996 are shown in Figures 4-6. The July 1996 data are shown 

 in Figures 7-9; and the August 1996 data are shown in Figures 10-12. In the fall of 1997, 

 only the ebb shoal wave gauge was operational. The ebb shoal wave heights for August, 

 September, and October 1997 are given in Figures 13-15. The maximum wave height 

 measured during the three time periods was 5.4 m at the offshore gauge on 1 1 March 1996 

 (Figure 4). 



In general, the wave heights increase 20 to 30 percent between the offshore and ebb 

 shoal gauges due to shoaling and refraction as the waves transform from a region of 

 parallel contours and 15-m depth to the outer portion of the ebb shoal at a depth of 7 m. 

 Between the ebb shoal gauge and inlet throat gauge at a depth of 5 m, the wave height 

 generally decreases 10 to 20 percent due to wave focusing on the ebb shoal (south of the 

 throat gauge). Wave height at the inlet throat gauge, and to a lesser degree at the ebb 

 shoal gauge, increases at low tide due to greater wave shoaling. During high wave events, 

 such as the peak of the March 1996 storm, this trend is reversed due to depth-limited wave 

 breaking and the wave height is higher at high tide and lower at low tide (Figures 4-6). 

 Wave height modulation of up to 1 m occurs at the inlet throat gauge, due to the tide. 



1 6 Chapter 3 Example Results and Discussion 



