WAVE BREAKING IN SHALLOW WATER

Deep water steepness (H sub 0/L sub 0) and beach slope (m) determine breaker type and breaker depth-to-height ratio. High initial H sub 0/L sub 0 induces breaking in deeper water since steepness grows faster than height. Slope determines the extent of nonlinear changes in wave shapes, which occur at a slow rate relative to wave speed. Slow shape changes accompanying soliton development significantly affect the breaking of oscillatory waves and provide plausible explanations for data on the breaking of solitary waves. An empirically and theoretically derived parameter of the form H/(sq m L sub 0) describes breaker type and predicts the transition between waves which reflect and waves which break on a beach. (Author)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Originally published in Waves on Beaches and Resulting Sediment Transport, 1972, pp 413-456.
• Corporate Authors:

  Army Coastal Engineering Research Center

  5201 Little Falls Road, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20016
• Authors:
  • Galvin, CJJ
• Publication Date: 1972

Media Info

• Pagination: 44 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Altitude; Beaches; Erosion; Mathematical prediction; Motion; Ocean waves; Overtopping; Reflection; Velocity; Water waves; Wave height; Wave measurement
• Uncontrolled Terms: Breaking waves; Navier Stokes equations; Shallow water
• Old TRIS Terms: A; Beach erosion; Wave slope measurement
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Marine Transportation; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00051056
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: CERC-Reprint-4-73
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 12 1974 12:00AM