Investigation of Wave Conditions in the Paranagua´ Estuarine Complex in the South of Brazil
This paper summarises results of investigations aiming at the improvement of the understanding about the wave conditions in the Paranagua´ Estuarine Complex (PEC) in the South of Brazil. The investigations were carried out in the framework of a joint-research project funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Science and Technology in Brazil. In this study a phase-averaged wave model was set-up and applied to the study area. The relevance of the main processes affecting wave generation and dissipation were investigated. Focus was given to the wave conditions in the vicinity of the harbour some 25km within the PEC. The fetch was found to have a major effect on wave generation in the study area. Significant wave heights up to about 0.6m resulted near the harbour during storms. The results obtained helped in advancing the development of the coupled process-based models for simulation of flow, waves and sediment transport in the PEC. It was found that although currents have a certain influence on the wave heights, the effect of the tidal variation resulted more significant. Moreover waves were found to affect the current velocities in shallow water areas and should therefore be included for enhancing the predictions of sediment transport rates particularly for more adverse wind conditions.