NCCOS researchers have re-released Wave Exposure Model (WEMo) as an R package, a free, open-source software. This modernized version of WEMo allows users to estimate wind-driven wave height and energy in coastal environments.
Accurately modeling wave and energy dynamics is critical for identifying shoreline vulnerability and erosion hot spots. In doing so, WEMo can help guide where resilience and restoration efforts can provide the most benefit to coastal communities. To date, WEMo has been used to support successful seagrass restoration, design living shoreline interventions, and quantify options for coastal management.
Deploying physical wave sensors to collect data is expensive, time-consuming, and limits data collection to a few specific locations. As an alternative, WEMo uses mathematical modeling to estimate wave height and energy across much larger geographic areas. By utilizing NOAA’s existing meteorological observation network alongside factors like underwater topography and shoreline shape, WEMo allows coastal managers to safely and cost-effectively simulate wave energy from a desk. WEMo is easily adaptable for use by non-specialists in hydrodynamics and is designed for those with a basic knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Originally released in 2006 by NOAA’s Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research (a previous NOAA Fisheries program located at NOAA’s Beaufort Laboratory) as a proprietary extension for ESRI’s ArcMap software, this new open-access R version represents a user-focused leap forward. In addition to enhanced modelling functionality, new features provide access to NOAA data sources for easy gathering and preparation of input data, optimization for efficient re-analysis, modern tools for beautiful visualization, and easy to follow tutorials.
WEMo is available for download here. For further information, see Tutorials and Download Instructions.
This work is supported by the Coastal Zone Management Act.