Ocean and Coastal Modelling

A special issue of Modelling (ISSN 2673-3951).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 21024

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, FCTUC, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: hydrodynamics; morphodynamics; coastal processes; coastal management; marine pollution; waves and currents; storms; natural hazards; climate change; numerical modeling
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Guest Editor
National Laboratory for Civil Engineering, Av. do Brasil, 101, 1700-066 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: harbour and coastal areas; coastal processes; hydrodynamics; waves; numerical modelling; physical modelling; risk management; forecast and risk alert systems for harbour and coastal areas

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In spite of the great increase in the number of computational models that are able to solve increasingly complex mathematical formulations, there are still no tools powerful enough to address the numerous real-world problems requiring support through coastal zone planning and management policies.

Concerning hydrodynamics, circulation in the coastal zone is complex, since it is determined by a set of forcing mechanisms of different origins (meteorological, astronomical, circulation on a large scale of the ocean, etc.), which give it considerable space–time variation. Fully nonlinear and dispersive wave models are required to describe the strongly nonlinear dynamics of waves propagating from deep waters through to intermediate-depth waters and the final stages of shoaling and surf zones.

With regard to ocean pollution, the impact of pollutant release in coastal areas from municipal and industrial drainage systems is a global challenge whose processes need to be further developed and better incorporated into numerical modelling. Oil spills in coastal zones also have several effects that are related to changes in the chemical composition of the environment and its physical properties. Numerical models can serve as powerful tools for determining preventive measures and helping to monitor pollutant evolution.

Within the scope of coastal protection, seawalls, groynes, and breakwaters are structures that are often used, namely in protecting or feeding beaches and in protecting sensitive coastal areas, such as ports and harbours. To design coastal defences, understanding the three-dimensional characteristics of the flow around these structures is essential. In this field, the modelling of morphodynamic processes is still a great challenge.

This Special Issue aims to develop and explore modelling tools applicable to the ocean and coastal zone to support researchers in different areas, oceanographers, engineers, and coastal managers. Mathematical developments, numerical implementations, model validations using field and/or laboratory data, and case studies are all of interest.

Prof. Dr. José Simão Antunes Do Carmo
Dr. Conceição Juana Espinosa Morais Fortes
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • deep ocean
  • coastal zone
  • shallow waters
  • hydrodynamics
  • turbulence
  • ocean pollution
  • coastal processes
  • morphodynamics
  • physical modelling
  • numerical modelling
  • waves and currents
  • finite elements
  • finite volumes
  • sea level rise
  • storms
  • tides

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 5210 KiB  
Article
Damage Evolution Prediction during 2D Scale-Model Tests of a Rubble-Mound Breakwater: A Case Study of Ericeira’s Breakwater
by Rute Lemos, João A. Santos and Conceição J.E.M. Fortes
Modelling 2023, 4(1), 1-18; https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling4010001 - 20 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1494
Abstract
Melby presents a formula to predict damage evolution in rubble-mound breakwaters whose armour layer is made of rock, based on the erosion measured in scale-model tests and the characteristics of the incident sea waves in such tests. However, this formula is only valid [...] Read more.
Melby presents a formula to predict damage evolution in rubble-mound breakwaters whose armour layer is made of rock, based on the erosion measured in scale-model tests and the characteristics of the incident sea waves in such tests. However, this formula is only valid for armour layers made of rock and for the range of tested sea states. The present work aims to show how the Melby methodology can be used to establish a similar formula for the armour layer damage evolution in a rubble-mound breakwater where tetrapods are employed. For that, a long-duration test series is conducted with a 1:50 scale model of the quay section of the Ericeira Harbour breakwater. The eroded volume of the armour layer was measured using a Kinect position sensor. The damage parameter values measured in the experiments are lower than those predicted by the formulation for rock armour layers. New ap and b coefficients for the Melby formula for the tested armour layer were established based on the minimum root mean square error between the measured and the predicted damage. This work shows also that it is possible to assess the damage evolution in scale-model tests with rubble-mound breakwaters by computing the eroded volume and subsequently, the dimensionless damage parameter based on the equivalent removed armour units. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ocean and Coastal Modelling)
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13 pages, 1549 KiB  
Article
Error Distribution Model to Standardize LPUE, CPUE and Survey-Derived Catch Rates of Target and Non-Target Species
by Régis Santos, Osman Crespo, Wendell Medeiros-Leal, Ana Novoa-Pabon and Mário Pinho
Modelling 2022, 3(1), 1-13; https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling3010001 - 22 Dec 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3253
Abstract
Indices of abundance are usually a key input parameter used for fitting a stock assessment model, as they provide abundance estimates representative of the fraction of the stock that is vulnerable to fishing. These indices can be estimated from catches derived from fishery-dependent [...] Read more.
Indices of abundance are usually a key input parameter used for fitting a stock assessment model, as they provide abundance estimates representative of the fraction of the stock that is vulnerable to fishing. These indices can be estimated from catches derived from fishery-dependent sources, such as catch per unit effort (CPUE) and landings per unit effort (LPUE), or from scientific survey data (e.g., relative population number—RPN). However, fluctuations in many factors (e.g., vessel size, period, area, gear) may affect the catch rates, bringing the need to evaluate the appropriateness of the statistical models for the standardization process. In this research, we analyzed different generalized linear models to select the best technique to standardize catch rates of target and non-target species from fishery dependent (CPUE and LPUE) and independent (RPN) data. The examined error distribution models were gamma, lognormal, tweedie, and hurdle models. For hurdle, positive observations were analyzed assuming a lognormal (hurdle–lognormal) or gamma (hurdle–gamma) error distribution. Based on deviance table analyses and diagnostic checks, the hurdle–lognormal was the statistical model that best satisfied the underlying characteristics of the different data sets. Finally, catch rates (CPUE, LPUE and RPN) of the thornback ray Raja clavata, blackbelly rosefish Helicolenus dactylopterus, and common mora Mora moro from the NE Atlantic (Azores region) were standardized. The analyses confirmed the spatial and temporal nature of their distribution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ocean and Coastal Modelling)
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20 pages, 2649 KiB  
Article
Simulating Nearshore Wave Processes Utilizing an Enhanced Boussinesq-Type Model
by Anastasios Metallinos, Michalis Chondros and Andreas Papadimitriou
Modelling 2021, 2(4), 686-705; https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling2040037 - 24 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2514
Abstract
The simulation of wave propagation and penetration inside ports and coastal areas is of paramount importance to engineers and scientists desiring to obtain an accurate representation of the wave field. However, this is often a rather daunting task due to the complexity of [...] Read more.
The simulation of wave propagation and penetration inside ports and coastal areas is of paramount importance to engineers and scientists desiring to obtain an accurate representation of the wave field. However, this is often a rather daunting task due to the complexity of the processes that need to be resolved, as well as the demanding levels of required computational resources. In the present paper, the enhancements made on an existing sophisticated Boussinesq-type wave model, concerning the accurate generation of irregular multidirectional waves, as well as an empirical methodology to calculate wave overtopping discharges, are presented. The model was extensively validated against 4 experimental test cases, covering a wide range of applications, namely wave propagation over a shoal, wave penetration in ports through a breakwater gap, wave breaking on a plane sloping beach, and wave overtopping behind breakwaters. Good agreement of the model results with all experimental measurements was achieved, rendering the wave model a valuable tool in real-life applications for engineers and scientists desiring to obtain accurate solutions of the wave field in wave basins and complex coastal areas, while keeping computational times at reasonable levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ocean and Coastal Modelling)
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11 pages, 1117 KiB  
Article
A Lagrangian Tool for Simulating the Transport of Chemical Pollutants in the Arabian/Persian Gulf
by Raúl Periáñez
Modelling 2021, 2(4), 675-685; https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling2040036 - 22 Nov 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2360
Abstract
A rapid-response Lagrangian model for the use in simulation of the transport of a chemical pollutant in the Arabian/Persian Gulf is described. The model is well suited to the provision of a fast response after an emergency due to an accident or a [...] Read more.
A rapid-response Lagrangian model for the use in simulation of the transport of a chemical pollutant in the Arabian/Persian Gulf is described. The model is well suited to the provision of a fast response after an emergency due to an accident or a deliberate spill. It is easy to set up for any situation since only requires the modification of a few input files specifying the pollutant properties and release characteristics. Running times are short, even on a desktop PC, which makes it appropriate for a rapid assessment of a hypothetical accident occurring in the region. Baroclinic circulation was obtained from an HYCOM ocean model, and tides were calculated using a barotropic model. The interactions of pollutants with sediments (uptake/release processes) were described using a dynamic approach based on kinetic transfer coefficients and a stochastic numerical method. Some examples of model applications are shown, showing the influence of the geochemical behaviour of the pollutant in its distribution patterns. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ocean and Coastal Modelling)
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15 pages, 6018 KiB  
Article
Remarks on the Boundary Conditions for a Serre-Type Model Extended to Intermediate-Waters
by José Simão Antunes Do Carmo
Modelling 2021, 2(4), 626-640; https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling2040033 - 9 Nov 2021
Viewed by 2448
Abstract
Numerical models are useful tools for studying complex wave–wave and wave–current interactions in coastal areas. They are also very useful for assessing the potential risks of flooding, hydrodynamic actions on coastal protection structures, bathymetric changes along the coast, and scour phenomena on structures’ [...] Read more.
Numerical models are useful tools for studying complex wave–wave and wave–current interactions in coastal areas. They are also very useful for assessing the potential risks of flooding, hydrodynamic actions on coastal protection structures, bathymetric changes along the coast, and scour phenomena on structures’ foundations. In the coastal zone, there are shallow-water conditions where several nonlinear processes occur. These processes change the flow patterns and interact with the moving bottom. Only fully nonlinear models with the addition of dispersive terms have the potential to reproduce all phenomena with sufficient accuracy. The Boussinesq and Serre models have such characteristics. However, both standard versions of these models are weakly dispersive, being restricted to shallow-water conditions. The need to extend them to deeper waters has given rise to several works that, essentially, add more or fewer terms of dispersive origin. This approach is followed here, giving rise to a set of extended Serre equations up to kh ≈ π. Based on the wavemaker theory, it is also shown that for kh > π/10, the input boundary condition obtained for shallow-waters within the Airy wave theory for 2D waves is not valid. A better estimate for the input wave that satisfies a desired value of kh can be obtained considering a geometrical modification of the conventional shape of the classic piston wavemaker by a limited depth θh, with θ 1.0. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ocean and Coastal Modelling)
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21 pages, 1867 KiB  
Article
Explosives Use in Decommissioning—Guide for Assessment of Risk (EDGAR): II Determination of Sound Exposure Levels for Open Water Blasts and Severance of Conductors and Piles from below the Seabed
by Alison M. Brand
Modelling 2021, 2(4), 534-554; https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling2040028 - 18 Oct 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3643
Abstract
A simple underwater noise model suitable for use with explosive severance of well conductors and piles during the decommissioning of oil and gas subsea structures is introduced and evaluated against data from five projects in the US. This study focuses on a novel [...] Read more.
A simple underwater noise model suitable for use with explosive severance of well conductors and piles during the decommissioning of oil and gas subsea structures is introduced and evaluated against data from five projects in the US. This study focuses on a novel model for the determination of sound exposure levels. The model has been developed to enable determination of impact areas for marine mammals and fish. Simulated received underwater sound exposure levels were significantly correlated with measurements for all scenarios. The maximum total error achieved between simulations and measurements was 2.6%, suggesting that predictions are accurate to within 3% of the average measurement. A low relative bias was observed in the simulations when compared to measured values, suggesting only a small systematic underestimate (≤0.5% of average measurement) for most severance operations and a small overestimate (0.14%) for open water blasts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ocean and Coastal Modelling)
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20 pages, 2769 KiB  
Article
Explosives Use in Decommissioning—Guide for Assessment of Risk (EDGAR): I Determination of Sound Pressure Levels for Open Water Blasts and Severance of Conductors and Piles from Below the Seabed
by Alison M. Brand
Modelling 2021, 2(4), 514-533; https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling2040027 - 16 Oct 2021
Viewed by 3195
Abstract
A simple underwater noise model suitable for use with explosives in the decommissioning of oil and gas subsea structures is introduced and evaluated against data from five projects in the US. The performance of the model is compared to four existing models for [...] Read more.
A simple underwater noise model suitable for use with explosives in the decommissioning of oil and gas subsea structures is introduced and evaluated against data from five projects in the US. The performance of the model is compared to four existing models for open water blasts, and for the severance of well conductors and piles. Simulated received underwater sound pressure levels were significantly correlated with measurements for all scenarios. The maximum total error achieved between simulations and measurements was 3.5%, suggesting that predictions are accurate to within 4% of the average measurement. A low relative bias was observed in the simulations when compared to measured values, suggesting only a small systematic underestimate (≤1% of average measurement) for most severance operations and a small overestimate (1.34%) for open water blasts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ocean and Coastal Modelling)
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