Estimating the Wind-Generated Wave Erosivity Potential: The Case of the Itumbiara Dam Reservoir

The impact of wind waves is a process that affect reservoir shorelines, causing economic and environmental damage. The objective of this paper is to analyze the erosive potential of waves generated by winds at the shoreline of a large tropical reservoir of the Itumbiara Dam that stands along the Par...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inWater (Basel) Vol. 11; no. 2; p. 342
Main Authors Vilhena, Ricardo, Mascarenha, Márcia, Sales, Maurício, Romão, Patrícia, Luz, Marta
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 18.02.2019
Subjects
Coastal erosion
Environmental degradation
Environmental impact
Geographic information systems
Geological surveys
Geology
Geomorphology
GIS
Lakes
Lying
Metamorphic rocks
Rainy season
Reservoir management
reservoir shoreline
Reservoirs
Satellite imagery
Sensors
Shoreline protection
Shorelines
Soil erosion
Wave power
Wind
wind erosivity
Wind waves
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Summary:The impact of wind waves is a process that affect reservoir shorelines, causing economic and environmental damage. The objective of this paper is to analyze the erosive potential of waves generated by winds at the shoreline of a large tropical reservoir of the Itumbiara Dam that stands along the Paranaiba River in the Midwest of Brazil. A GIS-based analysis was carried out using a wave fetch model tool (WAVE) developed by the US Geological Survey with wind data from a Doppler sensor (SODAR—SOnic Detection and Ranging) and an ultrasonic anemometer. A wave erosivity potential map was generated combining 16 fetch rasters from every 22.5° wind directions and was weighted according to its corresponding wind frequency over the rainy season. This result showed the critical areas which may have a high wave potential to increase sediment detachment along the reservoir shoreline. Finally, some of these high erosivity potential areas coincide with large erosions sites, which are detected by satellite imagery. This technique was capable of identifying the wave potential which can cause shoreline erosions and also contribute to reservoir management and support future works, including field experimental programs and shoreline erosion treatments.
ISSN:2073-4441
2073-4441
DOI:10.3390/w11020342