An improved model for fast and reliable harbour wave agitation assessment.

This study presents the new advances achieved in the field of harbour agitation climate assessment. Based on the improvement of an elliptic mild-slope model (MSP), which realistically reconstructs waves inside any-sized basin, represented by high-detailed unstructured meshes, and forced by real-shaped outer spectral data. A new solver is proposed for high performance runs, which allow fast agitation hindcast for statistical downtime analysis within an iterative and multi-scenario approach. Also, a realistic assimilation of partial reflection processes in quays/docks/wharfs/breakwaters is proposed. The model has been successfully validated in several harbours of special relevance in Spain with in situ measurements, through the assimilation of the hybrid downscaling (Camus et al., 2011) technique combined with monochromatic-based wave spectral reconstruction. • A fast, reliable and integral method for harbour agitation assessment is presented. • Important improvements for an elliptic mild slope numerical (agitation) model are presented. • A new algorithm for partial wave reflection is proposed and validated. • The method is validated with in situ measurements for 17 important harbours along Spanish coast, achieving good numerical predictions. • The method can easily handle any past/present/future harbour geometry, for any alternative and basin configuration/quay typology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]