The hydrodynamic impact of sea waves mostly results in morphodynamic changes of the coastal topography, caused both by the autonomous development of the phenomenon and also by man-made changes.
In each case, in coastal engineering projects, there is a need for the collection of existing conditions such as local wind and wave climate, as well as related statistics information. Also, bathymetry and morphological information are of direct interest.
Apart from the wave transformations themselves, for the waves coming from deep water into the shallow coastal waters, their effects are important and include:
- The wave pressure on coastal structures such as roads, sea walls, jetties, breakwaters, etc
- Wave-induced currents, like the long-shore current in the surf zone, rip currents and stokes drift, affecting sediment transport and morphodynamics
- Wave agitation in existing infrastructures
- Wave over-topping on existing or proposed structures