Measurement and Modeling of Surface Waves
in Northern Chesapeake Bay
Waves riding the surface waters of the Chesapeake Bay are a driving force in a host of processes – from erosion of shorelines to the scouring and suspension of bottom sediments (sediments that may contain toxic compounds and other chemicals) to the dispersion of dredged material and the deep mixing of the Bay's water masses. Most of our understanding about the behavior and effects of surface waves, however, is anecdotal or based on limited computer modeling. While wind is the chief driving force for wave formation in the Chesapeake, there are few data and even less capability for predicting the effects of different wind conditions.
Focusing on the northern Bay, Lawrence Sanford will implement a wind-wave computer model; first, he will gather wind and wave data during different seasons and at several locations. He will then use these data as inputs to mathematical models and later for comparisons with results from running those models. The most successfully calibrated model will be used to produce a set of predicted wave responses to different wind conditions. Sanford can then compare these values to nearby weather information that will then be available for a wide variety of applications by scientists and resource managers tracking the physical dynamics of the Bay, and by other users of the Bay's waterways.
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Lawrence P. Sanford
Horn Point Laboratory
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
University System of Maryland
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