Wave-induced steady streaming and net sediment transport in ocean bottom boundary layers

Abstract

The sediment transport resulting from the interaction between two important streaming-generating mechanisms has been investigated by numerical simulations of the seabed boundary layer beneath both sinusoidal waves and Stokes second order waves. These two mechanisms are streaming caused by turbulence asymmetry in successive wave half-cycles (beneath asymmetric forcing), and streaming caused by the presence of a vertical wave velocity within the seabed boundary layer.