• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.117-123
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• 2016

One of the major characteristics of the swell-like high waves, which occur in the East Sea mostly in winter with large height and long period, is its suddenness associated with the rapid development of high waves from a calm state of sea. To represent such suddenness, in this study, the term sudden high waves is introduced. To propose the criterion of sudden high waves, comparisons were made between the wave measurement data at Gangneung and Wangdolcho for eight years from 2005 and the record of marine accidents and property damage on the coast of Gangwon-do Province and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province during the same period. It was found that most of the accidents occurred when ${\Delta}(H^2L)/{\Delta}t$ was approximately greater than the top 20% or $88.6m^3/hr$, which is therefore proposed as the criterion of sudden high waves. The used variable represents the rate of increase of the wave energy in one wavelength, including not only height and period but also suddenness of high waves.