Comparison of Spectral Refraction and Refraction‐Diffraction Wave Models
Publication: Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 117, Issue 3
Abstract
Wave energy estimated from linear, spectral wave propagation models incorporating refraction and refraction‐diffraction are compared over two bottom configurations: an analytic circular shoal and relatively smooth coastal bathymetry from San Diego, California. The agreement between the two models improves with an increase in the width of the incident directional spectrum and with a decrease in the complexity of the local bathymetry. There are, however, significant differences between the model transformations of directionally narrow spectra on both bathymerries. Pure refraction models are not quantitatively accurate in these cases. These comparisons also demonstrate the importance of directional wave spreading in transformations over even relatively simple natural bathymetry. Data from a fundamentally low‐resolution pitch‐and‐roll buoy, if used as the sole source of directional information for incident waves, can lead to significant uncertainty in wave heights estimated by the refraction‐diffraction model.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Berkoff, J. C. W. (1972). Computation of combined refraction‐diffraction.” Proc. 13th Coastal Engrg. Conf., 471–490.
2.
Berkoff, J. C. W., Booij, N., and Radder, A. C. (1982). “Verification of numerical wave propagation models for simple harmonic linear water waves.” Coast. Engrg., 6, 255–279.
3.
Dalrymple, R. A., and Kirby, J. T. (1988). “Models for very wide‐angle water waves and wave diffraction.” J. Fluid Mech., 192, 33–50.
4.
Dalrymple, R. A., Suh, K. D., Kirby, J. T., and Chae, J. W. (1989). “Models for very wide‐angle water waves and wave diffraction. Part 2. Irregular Bathymetry.” J. Fluid Mech., 201, 299–322.
5.
Goda, Y. (1985). Random seas and the design of maritime structures. University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo, Japan.
6.
Herbers, T. H. C., and Guza, R. T. (1990). “Estimation of wave spectra from multicomponent observations.” J. Phys. Ocean., 20(11), 1703–1724.
7.
Isobe, M. (1987). “A parabolic model for transformation of irregular waves due to refraction, diffraction and breaking.” Coast. Engrg. Japan, 30(1), 33–47.
8.
Izumiya, T., and Horikawa, K. (1987). “On the transformation of directional waves under combined refraction and diffraction.” Coast. Engrg. Japan, 30(1), 49–65.
9.
Kirby, J. T. (1986a). “Higher‐order approximations in the parabolic equation method for water waves.” J. Geophys. Res., 91(1), 933–952.
10.
Kirby, J. T. (1986b). “Rational approximations in the parabolic equation method for water waves.” Coast. Engrg., 10, 355–378.
11.
Kirby, J. T. (1986c). “Open boundary condition in the parabolic equation method.” J. Wtrwy., Port, Coast., Oc. Engrg., 112(3), 460–465.
12.
Kirby, J. T., and Dalrymple, R. A. (1986). “Modeling waves in surfzones and around islands.” J. Wtrwy., Port, Coast., and Oc. Engrg., 112(1), 78–92.
13.
LeMehaute, B., and Wang, J. D. (1982). “Wave spectrum changes on a sloped beach.” J. Wtrwy., Port, Coast, and Oc. Engrg., 108(1), 33–47.
14.
Long, R. B., and Hasselmann, K. (1979). “A variational technique for extracting directional spectra for multicomponent arrays.” J. Phys. Ocean., 9(2), 373–381.
15.
Longuet‐Higgins, M. S. (1957). “On the transformation of a continuous spectrum by refraction.” Proc. of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 53(1), 226–229.
16.
Ochoa, J., and Gonzalez, O. E. D. (1990). “Pitfalls in the estimation of wind wave directional spectra by variational principles.” Appl. Ocean Res., 12(4), 180–187.
17.
Panchang, V. G., Wei, G., Pierce, B. R., and Briggs, M. J. (1990). “Numerical simulation of irregular wave propagation over a shoal.” J. Wtrwy., Port, Coast., and Oc. Engrg., 116, 324–340.
18.
Pierson, W. J. (1951). “The interpretation of crossed orthogonals in wave refraction phenomena.” Tech. Memo No. 21, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Beach Erosion Board, Washington, D.C.
19.
Pierson, W. J., Tuttle, J. J., and Wooley, J. A. (1953). “The theory of the refraction of a short‐crested Gaussian sea surface with application to the northern New Jersey coast.” Proc. of the Third Conf. on Coastal Engineering, 86–108.
20.
Radder, A. C. (1979). “On the parabolic equation method for water‐wave propagation.” J. Fluid Mech., 95, 159–176.
21.
Vincent, C. L., and Briggs, M. J. (1989). “Refraction‐diffraction of irregular waves over a mound.” J. Wtrwy., Port, Coast., and Oc. Engrg., 115(2), 269–284.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 1991 ASCE.
History
Published online: May 1, 1991
Published in print: May 1991
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.