Kinematics of Breaking Waves

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Abstract
Measurement of waves, and vertical and horizontal water particle velocities were made of spilling, plunging and surging breakers at sandy beaches in the vicinity of Monterey, California. The measured breaking waves, derived characteristically from swell-type waves, can be described as highly nonlinear. Spectra and cross spectra were calculated between waves and velocities. Secondary waves were noted visually and by the strong harmonics in the spectra. The strength of the harmonics is related to the beach steepness, wave height and period. The phase difference between waves and horizontal velocities indicates the unstable crest of the wave leads the velocities on the average by 5-20 degrees. Phase measurements between wave gauges in a line perpendicular to the shore show breaking waves to be frequency nondispersive indicating phase-coupling of the various wave components. The coherence squared values between the sea surface elevation and the horizontal water particle velocity were high in all runs, ranging above 0.8 at the peak of the spectra. The high coherence suggests that most of the motion in the body of breaking waves is wave-induced and not turbulent.

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