Kernel representation of long-wave dynamics on a uniform slope.

Abstract

Long-wave propagation on a uniformly sloping beach is formulated as a transient-response problem, with initially stationary water subjected to an incident wave. Both the water surface elevation and the horizontal flow velocity on the slope can be represented as convolutions of the rate of displacement of the water surface at the toe of the slope with a singular kernel function of time and space. The kernel, which is typically expressed in the form of an infinite series, accommodates the dynamic processes of long waves, such as shoaling, reflection, and multiple reflections over the slope and yields exact solutions of the linear shallow water equations for any smooth incident wave. The kernel convolution can be implemented numerically by using double exponential formulas to avoid the kernel singularity. The kernel formulation can be extended readily to nonlinear dynamics via the hodograph transform, which in turn enables the instantaneous prediction of nonlinear wave properties and of the occurrence of wave breaking in the near-shore area. This general description of long-wave dynamics provides new insights into the long-studied problem.