Geometric study of monochromatic wave breaking on beaches

Abstract

A Video Image Processing (VIP) technique has been developed for the study of free surface water waves. The technique allows detailed examination of continuous image sequences of progressing waves, providing a complete and precise geometric description of an evolving breaking wave. Wave breaking on sloping beaches has been investigated under monochromatic sea conditions and geometric parameters of a large number of breakers have been obtained. The bed slope was found to influence the breaking wave height and depth relationship. A number of new empirical equations have been derived defining the functional relationship between the non-dimensional breaking height Hb/gT2 and breaking depth db/gT2, between the breaking wave steepness Hb/Lb and relative depth db/Lb, and between the breaking height to depth ration Hb/db and non-dimensional breaking depth db/gT2.