published_or_final_version / Applied Statistics / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-71). / xii, 71 leaves, bound ill. (some col.), maps 29 cm

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Australia, 2004.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1991.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Stanford University, 1981. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [88]-91).

Thesis (M.S.)--Naval Postgraduate School. / Cover title. "Prepared for Dept. of Navigation and Ocean Development, State of California." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 40-41).

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1991. / Also available in print.

published_or_final_version / Mechanical Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Accurate predictions and understanding of littoral and coastal wave conditions are of major importance to military operations and civilian coastal zone management. Although WaveWatchIII (WW3) is used by many operational forecasting centers around the world, there is a lack of field studies to evaluate its accuracy in regional applications and under extreme conditions, such as Hurricanes. Data from seven National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) buoys in the Gulf of Mexico, together with an array of pressure and pressure-velocity sensors deployed on the Florida Panhandle shelf during the Office of Naval Research (ONR) SAX04 experiment, were used to test WW3 predictions of extreme waves generated by Hurricane Ivan. The model predicts large differences between wave conditions on the left and right sides of the hurricane track owing to the difference in "dwell time" between wave propagating against and with the storm. Analysis reveals a tendency to predict smaller wave heights and later arrival of hurricane swell than is observed. Additionally, the default operational setting for dissipation by bottom friction yields too much dissipation on the continental shelf. Overall, the agreement between observations and model predictions is reasonable.

pulation. Two methods were examined for calculating breaking wave dissipation rates for particularly robust days (110.5 -114.5). Velocity data were acquired using two electromagnetic current meters over the vertical mounted on a tower at mid-surf zone. The first method identified individual bores, which were ensemble averaged by phase over 30 minute records to obtain wave number spectra invoking Taylor's frozen turbulence hypothesis. Maximum dissipation rates underneath the bore cycle were shown to lag behind the sea surface elevation. The second method used 30 minute ensemble averaged spectra to obtain dissipation after Trowbridge and Elgar (2001). Dissipation rates calculated underneath each bore segment were orders of magnitude smaller when compared to the ensemble averaged technique.