Wave energy asymmetry in shallow bays

Abstract

Storm surges along the coastline of the United States are often driven by along-shore winds triggering cross-shore Ekman transport. Here we show that this mechanism creates ideal conditions for large wave events in the shallow bays characterizing much of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines. A positive feedback enhances wave formation during along-shore wind events, affecting the spatial distribution of waves and wave-forced erosion in shallow bays at a continental scale. © 2010 by the American Geophysical Union.