On the modeling of wave propagation on non-uniform currents and depth

Abstract

By transforming two different time-dependent hyperbolic mild slope equations with dissipation term for wave propagation on non-uniform currents into wave-action conservation equation and eikonal equation, respectively, shown are the different effects of dissipation term on the eikonal equation in the two different mild slope equations. The performances of intrinsic frequency and wave number are also discussed. Thus the suitable mathematical model is chosen in which the wave number vector and intrinsic frequency are expressed both more rigorously and completely. By using the perturbation method, an extended evolution equation, which is of time-dependent parabolic type, is developed from the time-dependent hyperbolic mild slope equation which exists in the suitable mathematical model, and solved by using the alternating direction implicit (ADI) method. Presented is the numerical model for wave propagation and transformation on non-uniform currents in water of slowly varying topography. From the comparisons of the numerical solutions with the theoretical solutions of two examples of wave propagation, respectively, the results show that the numerical solutions are in good agreement with the exact ones. Calculating the interactions between incident wave and current on a sloping beach [Arthur, R.S., 1950. Refraction of shallow water waves. The combined effects of currents and underwater topography. EOS Transactions, August 31, 549–552], the differences of wave number vector between refraction and combined refraction–diffraction of waves are discussed quantitatively, while the effects of different methods of calculating wave number vector on numerical results are shown.