Time Domain Comparisons of Measured and Spectrally Simulated Breaking Waves

Abstract

For realistic wave simulations in the nearshore zone besides nonlinear interactions, the dissipative effects of wave breaking must also be taken into account. This paper presents the applications of a spectral nonlinear wave model with a dissipative breaking mechanism introduced by Beji and Nadaoka (1997). Results obtained for spectral components are converted to the time series and compared with Beji and Battjes' (1993) laboratory measurements and the field measurements of Nakamura and Katoh (1992) in the surf zone. While the model predicts the spilling-type breaking of irregular waves in acceptable agreement with the measurements in time domain, the agreement is unsatisfactory for plunging-type breakers.