Developing a Joint Army/Navy Coastal Wave Prediction Program. A Planning Report.

This planning report presents a technical summary and recommendations for jointly developing improved coastal wave prediction capabilities for the Army and Navy, and was prepared by the Army/Navy Wave Prediction Group. Wave related physical processes are crucial for both Army and Navy operations, such as mine, amphibious, and logistics over the shore. Current coastal wave prediction capabilities are inadequate to meet several critical nearshore operational requirements. Nearshore physical environments are intrinsically more complicated than deep water due to strong interactions of waves with currents and irregular bathymetry. Important dynamic processes include wave shoaling, refraction, diffraction, and energy dissipation through wave breaking and bottom friction. Attention must be given to wave-driven nearshore processes, which in turn influence wave conditions. The fine resolution (both spatial and temporal) coastal wind forecasting plays an equally central role in this endeavor. Coupled with the increased complications of the coastal regions is the stringent requirement that many DoD coastal littoral warfare requires a higher level of accuracy than deep-water counterparts. This report presents a technical strategy with a vertically integrated approach for improving DoD wave prediction capabilities to advance current state-of-the-art. The strategy encompasses theoretical and experimental studies, comprehensive new field measurements, numerical modeling, and operational validation/evaluation/lmodification. Substantial common interests currently exist between the Army and Navy, thus a new R&D program jointly funded and executed is deemed to be timely and cost effective. The final deliverable of this joint program will be an improved integrated coastal wave prediction system for Army and Navy operational needs.