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The refraction of sea waves in shallow water

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2006

M. S. Longuet-Higgins
M. S. Longuet-Higgins
Affiliation:
National Institute of Oceanography, Wormley
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Abstract

This paper considers the changes that occur in the character of short-crested sea waves when they are refracted by a shallowing depth of water. Besides a change in mean wave-length and direction there is also a change (usually an increase) in the mean length of the crests. If the waves approach obliquely they become skew, that is, the crests become staggered one behind another.

When a short-crested sea is superposed on a long-creasted swell, refraction tends to amplify the longer waves more than the shorter ones. This also produces an increase in the mean length of the crests.

Numerical examples are given.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 1 , Issue 2 , July 1956 , pp. 163 - 176
Copyright
© 1956 Cambridge University Press

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References

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