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A PPE N D I X C : Wind and Wave Modelling
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Wind data collected by Environment Canada was obtained and reviewed for 3 nearby recording stations;
Hamilton Airport, Hamilton RBG (Botanical Gardens) and Burlington Pier. It is important that the wind
data used for hindcasting be representative of the actual overwater winds that cause wave generation on
the body of water being hindcast. The preferred means of verifying the suitability of winds for
hindcasting is through a calibration process that includes hindcasting to a site where waves have been
measured. There is no suitable measured wave data within Hamilton Harbour so a comparison was made
to Toronto Island wind data because that data has been successfully used for hindcasting on the western
end of Lake Ontario. For the LaSalle Park Marina site the most important winds are those from east
through to southwest.
The Hamilton RBG data was eliminated from consideration because of the quality of the wind speed data.
Over its 11 year period of coverage the highest recorded wind speed was 39 kph, and that it clearly not a
reasonable approximation of the over-water winds that occur in this area.
F igure 1 shows a comparison of wind exceedence curves for measured wind data at Hamilton Airport and
Toronto Island Airport. F igure 2 compares Hamilton Airport and Burlington Pier wind data. These
figures shows the percentage of time that measured winds speeds exceed a given speed. Comparing
Figures 5 and 6 it can be seen that the Hamilton data is relatively consistent with the Toronto Island data
although it shows a lower occurrence and lower peak wind speeds for easterly winds. The Burlington
Pier wind data was judged to have reasonable easterly winds but poor westerly and southwesterly winds.
Due to the importance of the southwesterly wind conditions at this site it was concluded that overall the
Hamilton Airport winds were more representative of the winds that occur over Hamilton Harbour than the
Burlington Pier winds. The Hamilton Airport wind data was therefore used to hindcast long-term wave
conditions for this project. A second hindcast was also completed using the Burlington Pier wind data so
the significance of the potential underestimation of east winds in the Hamilton wind data set could be
examined.
Environment Canada recorded hourly wind speed and direction data at Hamilton Airport from January 15,
1970 until December 15, 2011, which is just less than a 42-year period. F igure 3 shows a wind rose for
that data set. Overall, approximately 2.2% of the data was either not recorded or judged to be erroneous
and excluded from the data set. It can be seen that there is a higher frequency of occurrence of westerly
and southwesterly winds than any other direction. The highest recorded winds speed also come from the
southwest, with a sustained wind speed of 97 kph occurring on March 15, 1973.
F igure 4 shows the highest predicted wave periods and F igure 5 shows the wave height and period
exceedence curves. Only the easterly quadrant waves are shown for the Burlington Pier hindcast as that
hindcast was only carried out to consider the potential under-representation of easterly winds within the
Hamilton wind data set. It was concluded that the difference was not large enough to invalidate the
Hamilton winds hindcast, but that easterly waves from the Burlington Pier winds hindcast should also be
considered during the assessment of the various wave break alternatives.
F igure 6 presents wave tables showing the average annual hours of occurrence of wave conditions
grouped by wave height and period for the full year and for an operating season defined as April 15 to
October 31. F igure 7 shows wave tables for a typical boating season defined as May 15 to September 30,
and an extended boating season defined as May 1 to October 31.
F igure 1: H amilton and Toronto Island Wind Speed E xceedance C urves
F igure 2: H amilton and Burlington Wind Speed E xceedance C urves
F igure 3: Wind Rose for H amilton A irport
F igure 4: H ighest H indcast W ave Periods per Direction Sector
4.5
Peak Wave Period (s)
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
Hamilton winds
1.0
Burlington winds
0.5
0.0
North
NE
East
SE
South
SW
West
NW
North
4
4.5
F igure 5: Wave Height and Period E xceedance C urves for H amilton Winds H indcast
0
0.5
1
1.5
Wave Period (s)
2
2.5
3
3.5
100
Exceedance (%)
10
1
0.1
wave height
0.01
wave period
0.001
0.0001
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
Wave Height (m)
1.00
1.25
1.50
F igure 6: H indcast Wave T ables, F ull Y ear and O peration Season
LASALLE PARK MARINA BREAKWALL EA
Full Year Wave Data
Average Annual Hours of Occurrence, 1970 - 2011
Waves from All Directions
Wave Period (seconds)
Wave
Height
(m)
1.0 - 1.5
1.5 - 2.0
0.1 - 0.2
1,108
1,704
2.0 - 2.5
2.5 - 3.0
3.0 - 3.5
3.5 - 4.0
4.0 - 4.5
Totals
2,812
0.2 - 0.3
923
741
1,664
0.3 - 0.4
0.02
804
804
33.1
263
296
0.5 - 0.6
94.7
94.7
0.6 - 0.7
6.5
0.4 - 0.50
19.7
26.3
0.7 - 0.8
7.9
7.9
0.8 - 0.9
2.2
0.9 - 1.0
> 1.0
1,108
Totals
2,627
1,577
365
29.8
0.35
2.5
0.69
0.69
0.27
0.02
0.3
1.3
0.02
5,708
LASALLE PARK MARINA BREAKWALL EA
Operational Season, April 15 - October 31
Average Annual Hours of Occurrence, 1970 - 2011
Waves from All Directions
Wave Period (seconds)
Wave
Height
(m)
1.0 - 1.5
1.5 - 2.0
0.1 - 0.2
665
1,018
474
2.0 - 2.5
2.5 - 3.0
3.0 - 3.5
3.5 - 4.0
4.0 - 4.5
Totals
1,683
318
792
0.3 - 0.4
259
259
0.4 - 0.50
8.9
0.2 - 0.3
57.0
65.8
0.5 - 0.6
18.5
18.5
0.6 - 0.7
1.5
4.3
5.8
0.7 - 0.8
1.5
1.5
0.8 - 0.9
0.22
0.05
0.27
0.9 - 1.0
0.15
0.15
> 1.0
0.07
0.07
0.27
2,827
Totals
665
1,492
586
77.0
6.0
F igure 7: H indcast Wave T ables, T ypical and E xtended Boating Seasons
LASALLE PARK MARINA BREAKWALL EA
Typical Boating Season, May 15 - September 30
Average Annual Hours of Occurrence, 1970 - 2011
Waves from All Directions
Wave Period (seconds)
Wave
Height
(m)
1.0 - 1.5
1.5 - 2.0
0.1 - 0.2
476
714
303
2.0 - 2.5
2.5 - 3.0
3.0 - 3.5
3.5 - 4.0
4.0 - 4.5
Totals
1,190
193
496
0.3 - 0.4
132
132
0.4 - 0.50
3.7
0.2 - 0.3
21.2
24.9
0.5 - 0.6
4.6
4.6
0.6 - 0.7
0.12
0.50
0.62
0.7 - 0.8
0.12
0.12
0.8 - 0.9
0.02
0.02
0.9 - 1.0
0.02
0.02
0.02
1,848
> 1.0
476
Totals
1,018
329
25.9
0.64
LASALLE PARK MARINA BREAKWALL EA
Extended Boating Season, May 1 - October 15
Average Annual Hours of Occurrence, 1970 - 2011
Waves from All Directions
Wave Period (seconds)
Wave
Height
(m)
1.0 - 1.5
1.5 - 2.0
0.1 - 0.2
571
870
386
2.0 - 2.5
2.5 - 3.0
3.0 - 3.5
3.5 - 4.0
4.0 - 4.5
Totals
1,440
251
638
0.3 - 0.4
187
187
0.4 - 0.50
5.4
0.2 - 0.3
32.8
38.1
0.5 - 0.6
9.4
9.4
0.6 - 0.7
0.5
1.9
2.5
0.7 - 0.8
0.89
0.89
0.8 - 0.9
0.05
0.9 - 1.0
0.02
0.07
0.05
0.05
0.07
2,315
> 1.0
Totals
571
1,256
443
42.7
2.9