Investigation of Wave-Wave Interactions with Spectral Modelling

The present generation of spectral models for wave generation, propagation and dissipation are based on explicit numerical representations of each of the physical processes involved. As a result, such models provide a valuable framework within which we can relate our understanding of wave processes to measurements made under complex environmental conditions. This is particularly the case in shallow estuarine and coastal environments. In this paper we report on the use of spectral modelling in conjunction with a measurement programme to examine wave growth in a large intertidal estuary. We use the results to examine the role of nonlinear four- wave interactions, and to seek improvements in the way nonlinear energy transfer is computed in spectral wave models.