Waves in front of the Venetian littoral

The second-generation HISWA model, specifically developed for shallow water areas, was used to estimate the wave conditions in front of the Venetian littoral. The model is based on the wave action equation, and it includes conservative interactions with bottom and currents, generation by wind and dissipation by bottom friction and breaking. A detailed sensitivity analysis has been carried out on the main processes that affect the output of the model. The performance of the model has then been checked by comparison with laboratory and field data. Finally, the HISWA model. has been applied to several severe storms which have occurred in the Northern Adriatic and also to extreme wave conditions in the same area, thus allowing the corresponding wave conditions at the coast to be estimated. The results suggest that wave evolution towards the coast is greatly influenced by bottom friction in intermediate water depth and by breaking in shallow water. These processes could lead to saturation conditions during extreme wave events.