WAVECALC : an Excel-VBA spreadsheet to model the characteristics of fully developed waves and their influence on bottom sediments in different water depths

摘要

The generation and growth of waves in deep water is controlled by winds blowing over thesea surface. In fully developed sea states, where winds and waves are in equilibrium, wave parametersmay be calculated directly from the wind velocity. We provide an Excel spreadsheet to compute thewave period, length, height and celerity, as well as horizontal and vertical particle velocities for anywater depth, bottom slope and distance below the reference water level. The wave profile andpropagation can also be visualized for any water depth, modeling the sea surface change fromsinusoidal to trochoidal and finally cnoidal profiles into shallow water. Bedload entrainment isestimated under the wave crest and trough, respectively, using the horizontal water particle velocity atthe top of the boundary layer.The calculations are programmed in an Excel file called WAVECALC, which is availableonline to authorized users. Although many of the recently published formulas are based on theoreticalarguments, the values agree well with several existing theories and limited field and laboratoryobservations. WAVECALC is a user-friendly program intended for sedimentologists, coastal engineers and oceanographers, as well as marine ecologists and biologists. It provides a rapid meansto calculate many wave characteristics required in coastal and shallow marine studies and can alsoserve as an educational tool.