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Field measurement of nonlinear changes to large gravity wave groups

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2019

Tianning Tang Open the ORCID record for Tianning Tang [Opens in a new window] ,
Peter S. Tromans  and
Thomas A. A. Adcock Open the ORCID record for Thomas A. A. Adcock [Opens in a new window]
Tianning Tang*
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
Peter S. Tromans
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK Ocean Wave Engineering, 99 Cumnor Hill, Oxford OX2 9JR, UK
Thomas A. A. Adcock
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
*
†Email address for correspondence: tianning.tang@some.ox.ac.uk
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Abstract

The dynamics of large gravity waves are known to be modified from the linear model by nonlinear physics. In this paper we analyse Eulerian surface elevation time histories measured from two sites, Lake George (Australia) and the North Sea, to examine how weak nonlinearity has modified the shape of extreme wave groups relative to linear theory. We analyse the asymmetry of the extreme wave groups and find that, on average, the wave in front of an extreme wave is smaller than the wave following it. We also observe a contraction in the envelope width of the wave group relative to linear theory. The departures from linear theory are strongly correlated with the steepness of the underlying sea state and are generally consistent with theoretical expectations, providing strong evidence that such nonlinear phenomena arise in naturally occurring water waves.

JFM classification

Waves/Free-surface Flows: Surface gravity waves

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JFM Papers
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Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 873 , 25 August 2019 , pp. 1158 - 1178
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© 2019 Cambridge University Press 

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