Wave Runup and Overtopping under Macrotidal Environment

Abstract

Wave runup and overtopping are key parameters with regard to the defense of onshore or coastline area from coastal flooding. Characteristics of wave runup and overtopping are dependent on various physical parameters, such as the geometry of the structure, local bathymetry, and wave climate. With the recent advance in quantitative estimation of these phenomena, it is made possible to predict wave runup and overtopping with a reasonably good accuracy if the input conditions that are required for the prediction is provided.Under an environment of huge fluctuation of tidal level, the significance of wave runup and overtopping becomes more noticeable since it is closely related to the hazard of tidal flooding. In fact, some countries have experienced huge damage of coastal facilities due to the high wave runup and overtopping caused by severe storms. In addition, these phenomena are responsible for foreshore morphology change such as beach erosion, deposition or cusp development. In this respect, it is necessary to be aware about the relationship of the wave runup and overtopping with the macro scale tide.In this study, we review some of the formulations that are widely used in predicting wave runup and overtopping in order to investigate the influence of macrotidal sea state to the characteristics of wave runup and overtopping and to provide fundamental information for establishing a tidal flood forecasting system. In relation with this, the variation of wave runup and overtopping at Manlipo beach, which is located on the west coast of Korea and well known as the place of strong interaction between large tides and waves, will be examined by analyzing video monitoring data and/or x-band radar images.