Modelling and simulation of extreme wave heights around agatti island of lakshadweep, west coast of India

Small islands experience variation in wave energy regime along shorter shoreline due to refraction, diffraction and variability in direction of wave travel. Nearshore wave climate around these islands is quite complex due to wave transformation associated with configuration of islands, and high steepness in the bathymetry. Understanding wave energy will help in identifying suitable locations for coastal structures, wave energy devices and sediment budgeting. Assessment of extreme wave climate around the islands play a crucial role in the design and survival of coastal infrastructure for any developmental activities in islands. This study investigates the extreme wave climate around the Agatti island of Union Territory of Lakshadweep located in west coast of India. The spatial variability of wave power distribution around the Agatti island is analyzed based on 10 years of wave hindcast data from spectral wave modelling for the period between 2011 and 2020 using spectral wave model. In this study, third-generation spectral wave model was used to simulate the wave climate over the Arabian Sea. Regional model was established using ECMWF model winds and the offshore wave parameters were validated with deep water ocean observations AD07 and AD09 deployed in the Arabian Sea. To understand the nearshore wave transformation along the Agatti island, local wave model of fine resolution was established using high resolution bathymetry and is validated using the coastal buoy (CB02) deployed near Agatti. Nearshore wave parameters such as Significant wave height, Peak wave period (T_p) and Mean wave direction (θ_m) were analyzed. The wave power distribution around the island was quantified and demarcated for siting of offshore structures for developmental activities. The study reveals that the south zone of the island is more energetic with annual mean wave power of 8–12 kW/m and during monsoon, wave power more than 28 kW/m is observed. The extreme value theory based on Generalized Extreme Value distribution is applied to the extreme wave height estimate based on modelled wave data around the Agatti island. The extreme wave heights for different return periods were estimated around the Agatti island for design and analysis of coastal infrastructure.

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