Wave Energy Contributions from Hurricanes, Front Events, and Vessel Passages near Coastal Wetland Edges in Galveston Bay

Abstract Coastal wetland erosion is a significant environmental concern along the Texas coast with various contributing factors. This paper evaluates wave activity at four coastal field sites near the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIW) in Galveston Bay and quantifies the contributions of hurricanes, front events, and ship wake dynamics to the wetland boundary changes through eventful and seasonal field measurement campaigns. Utilizing the field hydrodynamic data, the wave-energy flux during the time of a Category 1 hurricane event (Hurricane Nicholas), prevailing warm or cold fronts, and ship wake dynamics are estimated to represent the erosion potential of wetland edges. The results revealed that Hurricane Nicholas contributed 13.3% of the wave-energy flux throughout the year (August 2021 to July 2022), warm or cold front events constituted 54.2%, and 11.2% were produced from ship wake hydrodynamics. The hurricane event exhibited the highest wave energy per occurrence, while front events led to the highest total wave energy throughout the year. Because of the typical shallow bay environment and heavy maritime traffic (measured at an average of 26 barge transits per day) along the channel, the total wave energy induced by vessel wakes accounts for a significant portion and needs to be considered when developing management strategies for the GIW.