Optimal Record Length For Describing Wind-Wave Climates In Fetch-Limited Bays Along The Northern Gulf Coast

Author

• Mehrdad Ramazanilar, University of South AlabamaFollow

Date of Award

8-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Department

Civil, Coastal, and Environmental Engineering

Committee Chair

Bret M. Webb, Ph.D.

Abstract

Coastal regions are threatened by sea level rise, erosion, and degradation, and coastal protection and restoration projects have been implemented to protect these valuable areas. One of the critical components of coastal projects is the monitoring and characterization of the location, particularly wave height as a key parameter. Due to practical constraints, wave heights are usually characterized using limited-duration measurements and wind-wave models, which raises the uncertainty about how well short-term records represent long-term conditions and the reliability of models. This study evaluates the representativeness of short-term wave records and the accuracy of a simplified wind-wave model using field measurements from three coastal sites along the northern Gulf Coast. The data were collected nearly continuously over 23 months, and the monthly and seasonal wave height distributions are compared to longer records using cumulative distribution functions and root mean square error. Results show that most months and seasons reasonably capture typical wave conditions, with June being the most representative month across all three sites. The findings of this research suggest that short-term measurements can be suitable for wave height characterizations at a specific site.

Recommended Citation

Ramazanilar, Mehrdad, "Optimal Record Length For Describing Wind-Wave Climates In Fetch-Limited Bays Along The Northern Gulf Coast" (2026). Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present). 265.
https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/theses_diss/265