Wave Climatology in Coastal Maine for Aquaculture and Other Applications

摘要

Surface waves constitute possibly the most energetic element of the physical oceanography affecting the coastal waters near Maine's 3,500-mile-long coastline. Waves create turbulent effects that are orders of magnitude larger than baroclinic and barotropic currents; obviously, the estimation of wave conditions is important for many oceanographic studies. For example, in the context of sediment transporticoastal engi- neering, the paucity of reliable wave information appears to have adversely affected the estimation of long-shore sediment transport and the related jetty designs at Camp Ellis (Saco) and Wells Beach (Kelly and Anderson 2000). While there are other areas such as marine operations and maritime safety that also need wave information, the primary motivation for the work described here pertains to the needs of the aquaculture industry.