Articles | Volume 34, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-34-1197-2016
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-34-1197-2016
Regular paper
 | 
16 Dec 2016
Regular paper |  | 16 Dec 2016

Spatial and temporal variations of wave energy in the nearshore waters of the central west coast of India

M. M. Amrutha and V. Sanil Kumar

Abstract. Assessment of wave power potential at different water depths and time is required for identifying a wave power plant location. This study examines the variation in wave power off the central west coast of India at water depths of 30, 9 and 5 m based on waverider buoy measured wave data. The study shows a significant reduction ( ∼  10 to 27 %) in wave power at 9 m water depth compared to 30 m and the wave power available at 5 m water depth is 20 to 23 % less than that at 9 m. At 9 m depth, the seasonal mean value of the wave power varied from 1.6 kW m−1 in the post-monsoon period (ONDJ) to 15.2 kW m−1 in the Indian summer monsoon (JJAS) period. During the Indian summer monsoon period, the variation of wave power in a day is up to 32 kW m−1. At 9 m water depth, the mean annual wave power is 6 kW m−1 and interannual variations up to 19.3 % are observed during 2009–2014. High wave energy ( >  20 kW m−1) at the study area is essentially from the directional sector 245–270° and also 75 % of the total annual wave energy is from this narrow directional sector, which is advantageous while aligning the wave energy converter.

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Short summary
This study examines variation in wave power off the central west coast of India at water depths 30, 9 and 5 m based on buoy measured data. The study shows a significant reduction (~ 10–27 %) in wave power at 9 m depth compared to 30 m and the power at 5 m depth is 20–23 % less than that at 9 m. At 9 m water depth, the mean annual wave power is 6 kW m−1 and interannual variations up to 19.3 % are observed during 2009–2014; 75 % of the total annual wave energy is from this narrow directional sector.