| dc.description.abstract | In-‐depth knowledge of nearshore wave, circulation, and sediment processes are vital to effective and efficient management, operation, and regulation of ports and harbors. The scientific knowledge of these processes is currently lacking in Ibaka, Nigeria and this work was designed to assess these
processes, thereby filling the existing gap in the literature. Even after seven decades of discovery of
Ibaka bay as a leading natural harbor in Nigeria, no proactive efforts have been made to harness this
resource. This dissertation aimed at developing a composite modeling system that would provide accurate and reliable information on circulation and sediment processes in Ibaka. This information will facilitate the speedy development of the deep seaport for economic empowerment of both local residents and the state. This study has three segments: field experiments, numerical experiments and data analyses.
NearCoM-‐TVD was chosen as the base model for this study because of its efficiency, accuracy, and robustness in simulating the processes of interest in Ibaka. This study has undertaken a detailed
investigation of the impacts of different channel designs on the erosion and/or accretion of adjacent Ibaka beach and provided the optimum channel size and location. Maps and time series of wave action attenuation based on the optimum channel design have been produced. Analyses of relative contribution of various forcing mechanisms to the total sediment budget showed that wave height variations have the greatest impact on sediment transport in Ibaka.Significant wave height above 1.0m initiated sediment transport and morphological changes in Ibaka. The effects of wave-‐current interactions on sediment processes have been investigated and found to be significant for wave heights near 1.0m in Ibaka bay. Examination of seasonal bias on sediment processes showed that only rainy season (April to October) wave climate caused sediment transport in the bay. Reduction of
wave action, due to the dredged channel, resulted in wave refocusing towards the nearby Tom Shot Island. Finally, a five-‐year maintenance dredging time window has been estimated for this port and harbor site. | en |
