Wave Setup in Inlets: Some Practical Considerations

For the determination maximum flood elevations, a number of components contributing to the total water level need to be considered. For instance, astronomical tide, storm surge, relative changes in mean sea level, wave setup, wave runup and wave splash. In this study, numerical models were used to evaluate under which conditions wave setup penetrates into an idealized inlet. A number of idealized inlet/lagoon configurations were tested. A coupled wave-current model was used to assess the static component of the wave setup. A Boussinesq wave model was used to assess the influence of the dynamic oscillating component of the wave setup. This study demonstrates how numerical modeling tools can be effectively used to assess how wave setup develops depending on a specific inlet configuration.Copyright © 2007 by ASME