MORPHODYNAMICS OF SANDY BOTTOM UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF NONLINEAR PROPERTIES OF WAVES BASED ON THE EXPERIMENT IN A WAVE FLUME

Authors

  • D. V. Korzinin Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences
  • M. N. Shtremel Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29006/1564-2291.JOR-2025.53(4).2

Keywords:

wave transformation, coastal zone, sand bars, physical experiment, nonlinear wave properties, sediment wave transport, Bailard formula, equilibrium profile

Abstract

The nonlinear wave properties in the coastal zone are considered, such as the growth of higher harmonics and the phase shift between the second and first harmonics. These processes cause changes in wave symmetry and near-bottom velocities, and consequently, sediment wave transport. The morphodynamics of the sandy bottom associated with these processes can influence on wave transformation, thereby creating a feedback loop in the wave-sediment interaction system. The results of a wave flume experiment are analyzed, during which the formation of three underwater bars on a flat sandy bottom was observed. The use of a flat bottom allows nonlinear processes to be examined in isolation, without the influence of wave breaking and undertow, which is a novel approach in experimental coastal research. During the experiment, the formation of underwater bars was predetermined by fluctuations in wave heights along the channel, which is related to reflection from the wave absorber. Changes in space along the flume and in time were recorded for parameters determined by the nonlinear properties of the waves–namely, the magnitude of the second harmonic relative to the first (a2r) and the phase shift between them (Δφ). It was revealed that the formation of bar, in addition to the difference in wave heights, is associated with a high value a2r before its crest, which subsequently decreases as the evolution of this shape progresses. After passing the bar crest and over time, the phase shift between the wave harmonics increases. According to Bailard’s formula, these processes lead to a gradual decrease in sediment discharge during bar formation, i.e., the profile tends toward a quasi-equilibrium state.

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Published

2025-12-21

Issue

Vol. 53 No. 4 (2025): Journal of Oceanological Research

Section

Ocean physics and climate

License

Transfer of copyrights occurs on the basis of a license agreement between the Author and Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, RAS

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