Hydrological conditions

Water depth

Extract from topographical chart 1508 (Source: German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency)
Extract from topographical chart 1508 (Source: German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency)

According to the topographic chart of the seabed from soundings taken by the German FederalMaritime and Hydrographic Agency in 1991 the water depth at the site is approximately 23 m. A seismic research trip by the FS Alkor in May 2006 confirmed these soundings in principle, but registered depths that were generally about one meter less.

During the site investigation a water level of 22.2 m was measured, which according to tidal adjustment by the German FederalMaritime and Hydrographic Agency, produces a lowest astronomical tide (LAT) of 21.8 m.


Water level

The lowest astronomical tide (LAT – equivalent to the newer marine chart zero) was estimated from the coastal levels and assumed to be 0.2 m below low tide. According to information provided by the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency, the height of the highest astronomical tide (HAT) extrapolated from North Friesian levels is 2 m above low tide. Storm surge of 2.6 m should be included in the reckoning according to model calculations from the MUSE project of the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency.

This results in a theoretically possible maximum water level of 4.6 m above low tide or a maximum water depth of 26.6 m.

The design water level need not however be configured at the most unfavourable case of a very improbable coincidence of a maximum storm surge and the highest astronomical tide (together with the design wave). The maximum tide is therefore reduced by 0.3 m for this water level.

Water level at LAT absolute
LAT - marine chart zero 0 m 21.8 m
low tide +0.2 m 22 m
high tide +1.2 m 23 m
HAT +2.2 m 24 m
storm surge +2.6 m max 26.6 m
still water level +4.5 m 26.3 m

Waves

Design waves

At SWL (26.3 m) the wave crest reaches heights of up to 14 m (40.3 m above ground or 18.5 m above marine chart zero).

The parameters of the design wave and of the 30- and 10-year high were set as follows:

parameters 50 years 30 years 10 years
design water depth d 26.3 m 26.3 m 26.3 m
designated wave height H1/3 9.2 m 8.9 m 8.3 m
designated wave height Hmax 17.9 m 17.3 m 16.2 m
wave crest above marine chart zero HSWL+η 18.0 m 17.7 m 16.4 m
wave lengths l 170 - 232 m 166 - 224 m 158 - 216 m
wave periods TD 10.7 - 13.9 s 10.6 - 13.6 s 10.2 - 13.1 s
tatistical records of the WaveRider wave buoy NSBII of the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency from the years 1993-2006
tatistical records of the WaveRider wave buoy NSBII of the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency from the years 1993-2006

Wave heading

This is based on statistical records of the WaveRider wave buoy NSBII of the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency from the years 1993-2006.

According to these records the main heading of the waves is west-southwest, the extreme events however generally occur with west to north-westerly directions as here the fetch is particularly great. Here, figures coming very close to the aforementioned 50-year figures for significant wave height were achieved in just 13 years.

FINO3