Second-order water wave properties over Roseau’s three-parameter bottom topography

Abstract

Summary In his book Asymptotic Wave Theory (North-Holland 1976), Roseau develops the only known exact solution for linear wave propagation over a shoal. Remarkably, almost half a century later, the only properties of that solution which appear to have been used to validate more wide-ranging models are the limiting values of wave height in the far field. The primary aim of this work is to remedy this situation by providing a robust computational setting where the solution may be fully evaluated randomly both on the surface and the interior, speedily and to a high degree of accuracy. Such ‘benchmark’ solutions will facilitate a much more rigorous approach to validation of more general alternative approximation models. One such has some of its numerical results here examined and subsequently largely vindicated by the present calculations. Computation of the absolutely convergent solution integrals is supported by cubic spline approximation of an integrand component which satisfies a certain difference equation and the work is extended to cover bottom profiles with overhang including the extreme case where the overhang degenerates to a semi-infinite flat plate. The further development of solutions at second-order reveals details of mean Eulerian current and the attendant Stokes drift enabling mass transport computations; all illustrated through the entire depth with a range of contouring and arrows plots. The force field that drives a second harmonic component is calculated and shows excellent agreement with its equivalent in the more general modal expansion model applied to a non-identical but somewhat similar profile. This further validates the modelling approach and application described in that work.