Abstract.A 5-class intensity scale for wave storms in the Catalan coast is presented. This has been done by analysing a storm data set which comprises 5 buoys during the period 1988/2008. The obtained classification improves the former proposal of Mendoza and Jiménez (2008) by better resolving spatial and temporal variability in wave storms in the area. The obtained classification reflects the increase in wave storm properties as the storm category increases. Because the selected classification parameter was the energy content which implicitly contains H s and storm duration, this variable was used to define class limits; class I storms (24-250 m 2 h), class II storms (251-500 m 2 h), class III (501-700 m 2 h), class IV storms (701-1200 m 2 h) and class V storms (>1200 m 2 h). The energy content variable was also used as proxy for induced hazards; the observed increase in energy content for higher classes reflected a significant increase in the intensity of the potential hazards. Lastly, the dominant synoptic situation for wave storms along the Catalan coast was the presence of a Mediterranean cyclone although a direct correspondence on cyclone's intensity over the western Mediterranean with wave energy content was not found.

This paper describes wave climate and variability in the Gulf of Mexico based on a 30-yr wave hindcast. The North American Regional Reanalysis wind fields are employed to drive a third-generation spectral wave model with high spatial (0.005°–0.06°) and temporal (3 hourly) resolution from 1979 through 2008. The wave hindcast information is validated using National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) data and altimeter wave information (GlobWave). The model performance is satisfactory (r2 ~ 0.90) in the Gulf of Mexico and to a lesser extent in the Caribbean Sea (r2 ~ 0.87) where only locally generated waves are considered. However, the waves generated by the Caribbean low-level jet (CLLJ) are discussed in this work. Subsequently, the yearly/monthly mean and extreme wave climates are characterized based on the (30 yr) wave hindcast information. The model results show that the mean wave climate is mainly modulated by winter cold fronts (nortes) in the Gulf of Mexico, whereas extreme wave climate is modulated by both hurricane and norte. Extreme wave heights in the Gulf of Mexico have increased at a rate of 0.07–0.08 m yr−1 in September/October because of increased cyclone intensity in the last decade. However, there is no significant trend when considering the annual statistics for extreme events. Furthermore, modeling results also suggest that the CLLJ modulates the mean wave climate in the Caribbean Sea and controls the rate of mean wave height increase (0.03 m yr−1) in the Caribbean. However, these later results need to be corroborated by extending the computational domain in order to include the swell coming from the Atlantic Ocean.

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This paper gives a detailed description of the main hydrodynamic characteristics of different types of green water events occurring on a fixed structure in a series of experiments. High-speed video, at 250 fps, was used to capture the flow details from regular waves produced inside a wave flume. The green water events were classified according to their type and the results of the evaluation from the apparent and effective interaction features. The air cavities in the PDB (Plunging Dam Break) type events were almost spherical for longer waves. PDB with large, elliptical cavities, and HF (Hammer Fist) type events occurred with steeper waves. The highest wave front and bow run-up velocities were found in PDB and HF events, respectively. The size of the cavities in PDB events increases and becomes more elliptical for higher bow run-up velocities. The results of these experiments show that not all events can be treated in the same way as the DB (Dam Break) type events when designing structures or implementing models, as not all interactions with the deck happen immediately when the shipping water crosses the bow edge.