Model-Data Comparisons of Shear Waves in the Nearshore
Abstract
Observations of shear waves, alongshore propagating meanders of the mean alongshore current with periods of a few minutes and alongshore wavelengths of a few hundred meters, are compared with model predictions based on numerical solutions of the nonlinear shallow water equations. The model assumes alongshore homogeneity and temporally steady wave forcing and neglects wave-current interactions, eddy mixing, and spatial variation of the (nonlinear) bottom drag coefficient. Although the shapes of observed and modeled shear wave velocity spectra differ, and root-mean-square velocity fluctuations agree only to within a factor of about 3, aspects of the cross-shore structure of the observed and modeled (vertically integrated) shear waves are qualitatively similar.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 27, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA495185
Entities
People
- Falk Feddersen
- R. T. Guza
- Steve Elgar
- T. H. Herbers
- T. J. Noyes