Waves and Currents in Tide-Dominated Location Off Dahej, Gulf of Khambhat, India

Abstract

Based on measurements of waves, currents, and tides off Dahej in the Gulf of Khambhat, hydrodynamics are studied. Estimated tidal constituents show that primary lunar semi-diurnal constituent M2 was the strongest constituent, and the amplitude was found to be around 4.5 times stronger than that of the major diurnal constituent K1. Currents were predominantly tide induced with speeds up to 3.3 m/s and were north-northwest during flood tide and south-southeast during ebb tide. Residual cross-shore and along-shore current was found to be varying with the corresponding change in the cross-shore and along-shore wind speed. Influence of tidal current was observed in most of the wave statistical parameters.

Keywords:

• Tidal currents
• wave-current interaction
• significant wave height
• residual currents

Acknowledgements

We thank the director of NIO for encouragement and Shri P. Pednekar, R. Gowthaman, G. N. Naik, and R. L. Naik for their help in data collection. We thank Indomer Coastal Hydraulics (P) Limited, Chennai, for funding the measurement project, and Dr. P. Chandramohan, Managing Director, and other colleagues for their help during the data collection. This paper is NIO contribution number 4195.