Predicting Crenulate Bay Profiles from Wave Fronts: Numerical Experiments and Empirical Formulae

For crenulate-shaped bays, the coastal outline assumes a specific shape related to predominant waves in area: it generally consists of tangential zone downcoast and curved portion upcoast. Many engineers have attempted derive an expression headland bay shapes that emerge when full equilibrium is reached (stable or dynamic). However, even though models for static bays exist, they are merely empirical kind, lacking further insight on relationships between incident wave characteristics beach shape. In addition, commonly believed shoreline profiles tend follow fronts, but this has been never fully verified. paper, we investigate possible correlation front shapes. Numerical experiments performed using MIKE 21 Boussinesq Wave module, generated fronts compared hyperbolic-tangent profile. A thoughtful analysis results revealed single-headland profile translated perpendicularly direction at tip, without any influence period direction. new function called “wave-front-bay-shape equation” obtained, application validation formula case-study Bagnoli coast (south-west Italy) described paper.