The New South Wales nearshore wave tool – an interactive platform integrating high-resolution wave data for enhanced coastal science and management

Abstract

The New South Wales Nearshore Wave Tool is a freely available toolbox (https://nearshore.waves.nsw.gov.au) that accurately describes how waves transform from offshore to nearshore waters, along the coastline of New South Wales (NSW), in southeast Australia. The Tool utilises a computationally efficient wave transformation matrix, hosted via a web-based interface (i.e. Amazon Web Services) with over 10,000 output locations to rapidly transform offshore wave conditions to 30 and 10 m water depths at an alongshore spacing of 250 m. The wave transformation functions comprise pre-modelled conditions covering the full range of deep-water wave heights, periods and directions occurring in the region and were developed using the spectral wave model WAVEWATCH-III® Version 6.07. The Tool features two distinct nearshore wave transformation methods (i.e., parametric and spectral), each offering unique advantages depending on data availability and computational resources, and provides users the ability to transfer either historical offshore Waverider buoy data or modelled deep-water wave hindcast data (up to 63 years from the ERA5 reanalysis dataset, 1959 to on-going, updated quarterly) to the 30 m and 10 m bathymetry contours. The Tool also features a 10-day wave forecast to all nearshore output locations. Users can display nearshore wave conditions in spatial maps, timeseries plots, directional spectra plots, and download time series data for offline use. Additional features include the ability to perform Extreme Value Analyses on the transformed nearshore wave conditions to investigate probability-magnitude relationships. The purpose of the NSW Nearshore Wave Tool is to provide rigorous and accessible wave data for coastal managers, engineers, scientists, and researchers to: investigate nearshore wave climates, assess coastal hazards (including coastal erosion and inundation), assist in the design of coastal management interventions and coastal structures, and support emergency planning and responses.