Large-eddy simulation of the influence of a wavy lower boundary on the turbulence kinetic energy budget redistribution

Abstract

Oceanic turbulence plays an important role in coastal flow. However, as the effect of an uneven lower boundary on the adjacent turbulence is still not well understood, we explore the mechanics of nearshore turbulence with a turbulence-resolving numerical model known as a large-eddy-simulation model for an idealized scenario in a coastal region for which the lower boundary is a solid sinusoidal wave. The numerical simulation demonstrates how the mechanical energy of the current is transferred into local turbulence mixing, and shows the changes in turbulent intensity over the continuous phase change of the lower topography. The strongest turbulent kinetic energy is concentrated above the trough of the wavy surface. The turbulence mixing is mainly generated by the shear forces; the magnitude of shear production has a local maximum over the crest of the seabed topography, and there is an asymmetry in the shear production between the leeward and windward slopes. The numerical results are consistent with results from laboratory experiments. Our analysis provides an important insight into the mechanism of turbulent kinetic energy production and development.