A simple method for estimating wave refraction along weakly curvilinear coasts

This work presents a simple method for estimating the nearshore wave angle along weakly curvilinear coasts. Our approach is considered an alternative to the existing, more sophisticated and precise (but also time-consuming) numerical models for practical applications at large spatial scales. The method corrects the nearshore results of Snells law using (1) the shoreline angle and (2) a coefficient K. The appropriated values of K are obtained based on the wave conditions and the curvature of the coast. The method is very easy to implement, and the result is the nearshore wave angle at any given depth. The analysis of the results shows that our approximation is very accurate for weakly curvilinear coasts, except for those cases with significant curvature (beach cusp morphologies). Regarding the wave characteristics, the results are poor when waves simultaneously present small periods (T <;6 s) and angles greater than 20°.