Harbor Oscillations
Oral
Charitha Pattiaratchi, PhD
Professor, Coastal Oceanography
The University of Western Australia
The definition of tsunami (‘harbour wave’) used to describe oscillations in the infragravity (IG) periods (between 30 and 300s) in ports and marinas that often lead to interruption of operations due to excessive vessel movements. The main processes that lead to these oscillations (also called seiches): (1) surface gravity waves; (2) seismic tsunamis; and, (3) meteorological tsunamis (water level oscillations with similar characteristics to tsunami waves) were examined through the analysis of field measurements of water levels and currents from locations in Western Australia. Results indicated the oscillations were common during high swell events and during meteorological tsunamis.