On the choice of random wave simulation in the surf zone processes

• Main Authors: Yuan, Jing (Contributor), Madsen, Ole S. (Contributor)
• Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Contributor)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Coastal Engineering Research Council, 2013-03-20T13:45:39Z.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

 In this paper, the two common approaches to account for wave randomness, the spectral approach and the wave-by-wave approach, are compared through numerical experiments conducted with the coupling of a surf zone hydrodynamic model and a bedload sediment transport model. Special attention is paid to the wave nonlinearity and net cross-shore bedload transport predictions. The two approaches are found to have negligible difference in their predictions of certain average hydrodynamics, such as wave heights, set-up and undertow. However, the wave-by-wave approach outperforms the spectral approach in the wave nonlinearity prediction, and the two approaches differ significantly in their predictions of wave-induced net cross-shore bedload transport which strongly depends on wave nonlinearity. This suggests the necessity of using the wave-by-wave approach. The computational efficiency of the wave-by-wave approach is also discussed.