OVERVIEW

The course is divided into two modules and provides expertise on how sea waves propagate from offshore to the nearshore region, including the morphological changes of the seabed and the coastline induced by waves and currents.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course is aimed at introducing the student to the hydrodynamics and morphodynamics of the coastal region.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course is aimed at making the student capable of formulating and solving the problems related to the propagation of sea waves from the offshore region to the coastline considering refraction and diffraction phenomena and the possible wave breaking. The morphodynamic phenomena generated by sea waves will be also described.

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal lectures (50 hours).

Lectures will be delivered in the classroom.

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Federico Scarpa (federico.scarpa@unige.it), the Polytechnic School's disability liaison.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

1: Stokes waves: Introduction - The evolution of a monochromatic wave: formulation of the problem - Small amplitude waves: the solution of the linear problem - Some characteristics of the small amplitude waves - Superposition of waves - Standing waves

2: Nonlinear effects: Introduction - Nonlinear effects on a progressive wave -
Nonlinear effects on a standing wave - Saintflou diagram

3: Refraction phenomena - The energy of a propagating wave and the energy flux - Group velocity: a kinetic interpretation - The phenomenon of shoaling - The equation of wave action - Wave rays and Snell’s law.

4: Diffraction - Helmholtz equation - Cases of engineering interest.

5: Viscous effects: the bottom boundary layer - The flow field and the shear stress in the boundary layer: the linear approach - Nonlinear effects and the generation of a steady current

6 : Shallow water waves - Introduction and Boussinesq theory - The solitary wave - Cnoidal waves - Edge waves

7: Depth-averaged equations for steady currents

8: The depth and time averaged equations - Introduction - Continuity equation - Momentum equation - Some preliminary simplifications - The radiation stress tensor

9: The phenomenon of wave breaking  - The set-down and set-up - The longshore current

10: The tides

11: The sediment transport

12: Coastal morphology

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Course notes available on request. Send an email message to michele.bollapittaluga@unige.it or marco.mazzuoli@unige.it
• Fredsoe, J., & Deigaard, R. (1992). Mechanics of coastal sediment transport (Vol. 3). World scientific publishing company.
• Svendsen, I. A. (2006). Introduction to nearshore hydrodynamics (Vol. 24). World scientific.
• Nielsen, P. (1992). Coastal bottom boundary layers and sediment transport (Vol. 4). World Scientific Publishing Company.
• Mei, C. C., Stiassnie, M. A., & Yue, D. K. P. (2005). Theory and applications of ocean surface waves: Part 1: linear aspects.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/10720/p/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam includes only an oral examination which is aimed at ascertaining the degree of knowledge of the topics described during the lectures. The students are requested to produce a report based on the simulation of the wave propagation in the framework of an actual case of study and will be asked three questions on relatively large subjects, leaving the details to the following discussion.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

If necessary, during the examination, the student will also be asked to solve simple problems to test the operational capabilities acquired.

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Federico Scarpa (federico.scarpa@unige.it), the Polytechnic School's disability liaison.