The Contribution of Wind-Generated Waves to Coastal Sea-Level Changes

• Published in: Surveys in Geophysics
• Main Authors: Dodet, Guillaume, Melet, Angelique, Ardhuin, Fabrice, Bertin, Xavier, Idier, Déborah, Almar, Rafael
• Other Authors: Littoral, Environnement, Télédétection, Géomatique (LETG - Brest), Littoral, Environnement, Télédétection, Géomatique UMR 6554 (LETG), Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-Université d'Angers (UA)-École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Géographie et d'Aménagement Régional de l'Université de Nantes (IGARUN), Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN), Mercator Océan, Société Civile CNRS Ifremer IRD Météo-France SHOM, Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), Division Hydrographie Océanographie et Météorologie Militaire (HOM), Service hydrographique et océanographique de la Marine, LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM) (BRGM), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2019
• Subjects: Wind waves; Sea level; Coastal zone; Climate change; EXTREME WATER LEVELS; CLIMATE PROJECTIONS; INFRAGRAVITY WAVES; DEPTH INVERSION; NORTH-ATLANTIC; RUN-UP; PROFILE VARIABILITY; CONTINENTAL-SHELF; OBIDOS LAGOON; GLOBAL TRENDS; [SDU.STU.AG]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Applied geology; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-02380989; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-019-09557-5

International audience Surface gravity waves generated by winds are ubiquitous on our oceans and play a primordial role in the dynamics of the ocean-land-atmosphere interfaces. In particular, wind-generated waves cause fluctuations of the sea level at the coast over timescales from a few seconds (individual wave runup) to a few hours (wave-induced setup). These wave-induced processes are of major importance for coastal management as they add up to tides and atmospheric surges during storm events and enhance coastal flooding and erosion. Changes in the atmospheric circulation associated with natural climate cycles or caused by increasing greenhouse gas emissions affect the wave conditions worldwide, which may drive significant changes in the wave-induced coastal hydrodynamics. Since sea-level rise represents a major challenge for sustainable coastal management, particularly in low-lying coastal areas and/or along densely urbanized coastlines, understanding the contribution of wind-generated waves to the long-term budget of coastal sea-level changes is therefore of major importance. In this review, we describe the physical processes by which sea states may affect coastal sea level at several timescales, we present the methods currently used to estimate the wave contribution to coastal sea-level changes, we describe past and future wave climate variability, we discuss the contribution of wave to coastal sea-level changes, and we discuss the limitations and perspectives of this research field.