Numerical investigation of wave propagation in the Liverpool Bay, NW England

The computer model for near shore wave propagation, SWAN, was used to study wave climates in Liverpool Bay, northwest England with various input parameters, including bottom friction factor, white capping, wind drag formulation and effects of tidal modulations. Results were compared with in-situ measurements and reveal the impacts from these inputs on the predictions of wave height and propagation distributions. In particular, the model results were found very sensitive to different input formulations, and tend to underestimate the wave parameters under storm conditions in comparison with the observations. It is therefore important to further validate the model against detailed field measurements, particularly under large storms that are often of the primary concern.