Implications of long waves in harbor management: The Gijón port case study

The increase in maritime traffic means that ports have to continuously improve their efficiency. This involves reducing the inactivity caused by adverse climatic conditions. Adverse conditions that inconvenience port users include short and long waves. In this paper, the effect of long waves on port operations in Gijón harbor (Spain) is analyzed by means of a numerical model. Short wave propagation inside the harbor was compared with two different combinations of short and long waves. Taking into account the wave heights that limit operations, the periods of inactivity due to waves were computed for every dock. The results show that the harbor offers very good protection against wind (short) waves. Nevertheless, the port's inefficiency is significantly increased if long waves are present in the wave trains affecting the harbor. This illustrates the importance of taking into account long waves in port management. Finally, other limited effects of long waves in harbor environmental management issues are pointed out.