shorelinewaves

Shorelinewaves are ocean surface gravity waves in the nearshore environment where waves interact with coastlines. They originate from wind-generated waves in the open ocean and undergo a series of transformations as they propagate toward shallower water. The term covers processes such as shoaling, refraction and diffraction, wave breaking, and the nearshore circulation that drives sediment transport, coastal erosion, and beach formation.

As water depth decreases, wave speed and wavelength decrease while wave height increases, conserving energy. This shoaling causes waves to steepen and eventually break. Refraction bends wave rays to align more with the coastline, while diffraction can spread wave energy around headlands. The type of breaking depends on bottom slope and wave characteristics, commonly spilling, plunging, or surging.

Breaking waves generate the swash on the beach, with uprush and backwash moving sediment and shaping the beach profile. Longshore currents arise from obliquely incident waves, transporting sediment along the shore (littoral drift). Rip currents may form when circulation concentrates flow offshore, posing hazards to swimmers.

Shoreline wave dynamics influence coastal erosion, dune stability, and the position of the shoreline. They are affected by tides, storms, and sea-level rise, which can amplify erosive processes and flooding. Monitoring uses wave buoys, radar, and satellites, while numerical models simulate wave transformation and nearshore hydrodynamics for coastal planning and hazard assessment.