Moto Ondosity

The Moto Ondoso Index is a system developed by a 2002 IQP team for quantifying the level of moto ondoso in the Venetian canals. Based on the work of a 1996 study, the IQP team developed a formula that allows them to approximate the amount of energy a given boat releases into a canal based on observable factors such as the height of the wake it leaves behind.

Equation

E=0.125D_wH²Lsin(t)

D_w Density of water H Wake Amplitude L Wavelength t Angle relative to the canal wall

This equation provides a relation between easily measurable factors and the energy imparted to the canal walls.

Index

In order to use the index, we must have data on the various boats in the canal. Rather than taking data for every boat that passes along the canal, the IQP group took data for various types of boats traveling at different speeds and with different cargo loads. These two factors were found by the IQP team to be the most directly related to the amount of wake to boat would generate. After taking data for all these boats, the team averaged the obtained values for the different boat types. The team also applied regression equations to the speed data so that they could calculate index values for speeds other than the ones they measured. The end result of this work is a relatively simple system that can be used to calculate the amount of moto ondoso in the canals. While this may not seem too useful, it proves a valuable tool in evaluating the impact of various proposals to reduce traffic. While reducing traffic is useful for reducing moto ondoso, changing the number of boats in the canal does not necessarily lead to a linear reduction on moto ondoso. For example, reducing the number of taxis by 50% would lead to a larger reduction in moto ondoso than reducing the number of cargo boats by as much as 75%.

Drawbacks

The main drawback of the index is that it is an approximation. It is impossible to calculate the amount of energy actually imparted to the canal walls because of the extremely complex nature of wave dynamics. The index does, however, serve as a guide to measuring and reducing moto odoso.