Infragravity Wave Oscillation Forecasting in a Shallow Estuary

Abstract

Infragravity (IG) waves are low-frequency water waves, which can propagate into harbors and estuaries, affecting currents and sediment transport processes. Understanding and predicting IG oscillations inside harbors and estuaries is critical to coastal management and estimating future resilience to climate change impacts. High-resolution water level and flow velocity observations collected within Seal Beach Wildlife Refuge in Southern California are analyzed for IG energy related to atmospheric parameters, water levels, and offshore wave conditions. A proof of concept approach for predicting infragravity oscillations within an estuary using machine learning (ML) is presented.