QUANTIFYING THE IMPACT OF SHIP GENERATED WAVES ON PEA PATCH ISLAND
Date
2019-05
Authors
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Waterways such as rivers, canals, and estuarine shipping lanes are not naturally
well defended against large wave events because they are subjected primarily to
currents, tides, and small wind waves. Large waves are uncommon in these
environments due to the relatively narrow fetch and shallow bathymetry. However,
increasing human activity as well as the growth of trade and commerce has introduced
the necessity to further research to investigate the impacts associated with large vessel
generated waves. Repetitive wave forces generated by large vessels traveling through
narrow and shallow channels can disrupt the natural morphology of nearby beaches
and river banks.
The goal of this research project is to evaluate the hydrodynamic
characteristics of ship generated waves and quantify the relative impact of ship
generated wave events on Pea Patch Island in New Castle County, Delaware. To
perform this analysis, a month-long instrumented field study was conducted on the
shoreline of Pea Patch Island adjacent to the main shipping channel of the Delaware
River. The data collected in the study were used to inspect the energy transferred
from individual wake events caused by passing ships and compare with the energy
associated with ambient bay conditions.
Description
Keywords
Civil engineering, Ship generated waves, Pea patch island