Simulation of Wave Transformation on Muddy Coasts

When surface water waves travel over a soft mud bed, an inter-surface wave between the water layer and the mud layer is generated resulting to high wave attenuation and mass transport in mud layer. The present paper offers a numerical model which includes a multi-layered visco-elastic-plastic model to predict the wave attenuation under regular waves due to muddy bed. The model is based on mild slope equations and it includes combined wave refraction, diffraction, reflection, breaking and wave attenuation due to fluid mud layer. An artificial neural network is used as a part of wave attenuation calculation to speed up the computation. Applying the model in the East Bay, Louisiana shows a reasonable agreement with wave height measurement.