Abstract
A combined wave refraction and diffraction numerical model for predicting the wave conditions around the presence of an island was evaluated in the present study with various laboratory test conditions. The model was developed by Lo (1991) for predicting wave conditions for large coastal areas. Two sets of laboratory data (ITO AND TANIMOTO, 1972; BERKHOFF et al., 1982) were selected for comparison with the prediction of Lo's model; however, the two data sets are for cases of submerged shoals and not for an island's conditions. Therefore, a laboratory study to simulate the wave characteristics around an island with a mildly sloping shoreline has been completed in the Hydraulics lab at Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) to validate the assumption used in Los wave refraction and diffraction numerical model for an island.
After comparing the laboratory test results with the numerical model predictions, the following conclusions and recommendations are made: for submerged shoal conditions, the laboratory test results and the numerical model's predictions compare in both wave height and wave direction; while for island condition, there is good agreement in both wave height and wave direction in most measured locations, although near the centre area, the predicted wave height is much higher than that measured. Based on the present study, the numerical model can be applied to predict wave conditions around an island but the predictions near the centre area are questionable.