MEASUREMENT AND MODELING OF TROPICAL CYCLONE WAVES IN THE GREAT-BARRIER-REEF

Recorded wave data from four wave measuring instruments located at var ious points within a section of the Great Barrier Reef during the pass age of a tropical cyclone are presented. A spectral wave prediction mo del is used as an aid to the interpretation of the data. The tropical cyclone generated significant wave heights of approximately 10 m seawa rd of the reef complex. The many scattered reefs, however, act to redu ce this value to approximately 6 m landward of the reef complex. Indiv idual reefs appear to act as complete barriers to waves at typical oce anic periods, even at high tide. In a scattered reef complex such as t he Great Barrier Reef, wave energy can penetrate the inter-reef gaps. Although such inter-reef gaps may appear large in comparison to the si zes of individual reefs, wave attenuation is still significant.