Author(s): Helgi J. Hafsteinsson; Frederic M. Evers; Willi H. Hager

Linked Author(s): Frederic Evers, Willi H. Hager

Keywords: Experimentation; hydraulics; solitary wave; wave breaking; wave run-up

Abstract: The run-up features of breaking solitary waves over a plane sloping beach are described using both high-speed images and a systematic data analysis. Experiments were conducted in a smooth, rectangular and prismatic channel. The main hydraulic parameters investigated include relative wave height, stillwater depth, and channel bottom inclination. The various types of wave breaking are discussed, including the plunging, spilling, and surging breaker types in addition to the amplitude evolution due to wave shoaling. Furthermore, the generation and propagation of bores is examined. A detailed data analysis, based on hydraulic similitude, allows for deriving mathematical expressions that are considered to represent the observed wave features. The research includes film-like image series describing the wave run-up features, allowing for a description of the flow complexities observed and the beauties associated with wave run-up. This research excludes a numerical analysis, given the complexities due to turbulence generation and air entrainment.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2017.1356756

Year: 2017