Wave Propagation Across Muddy Seafloors

Abstract

The primary objective was to develop field-verified models for the evolution of surface-gravity waves propagating over a muddy seafloor, allowing more skillful predictions of wave fields on continental shelves, and enabling the estimation of characteristics of the seafloor from wave observations. The approach was to investigate empirical and theoretical expressions for mud-induced damping by comparing field observations with numerical model simulations. The damping caused by a muddy seafloor was investigated by simultaneously observing surface waves, near-bottom currents, and in collaboration with MURI investigators, characteristics of the mud layer and associated sediments. The field observations have allowed testing of existing hypotheses for mud-induced damping of the wave field, as well as the development of new formulations and parameterizations for the dissipation that can be used in both research and operational wave models.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2011
Accession Number
ADA539365

Entities

People

  • Britt Raubenheimier
  • Steve Elgar

Organizations

  • Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Continental Shelves
  • Department Of Defense
  • Dissipation
  • Electrical Solitons
  • Engineering
  • Gravity
  • Gravity Waves
  • Hypotheses
  • Observation
  • Personal Information Managers
  • Seabed
  • Sediments
  • Simulations
  • Surface Waves
  • Teamwork
  • Wave Propagation
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Geotechnical Engineering.
  • Marine Hydrodynamics