Frequency shifts of the sound field interference pattern in shallow water because of second-mode soliton-like internal waves

Numerical simulation is carried out to analyze the effect of an internal soliton of the second gravity mode on low-frequency sound propagation in an oceanic shelf region. The simulation is performed using the data of a full-scale experiment performed on the shelf of the South China Sea near Dongsha atoll, where the aforementioned solitons had been detected by stationary vertical thermistor arrays. The calculations take into account the effect of horizontal refraction of sound waves. It is assumed that a stationary acoustic track is oriented across the predominant propagation direction of internal waves. The results of simulation show that, when the soliton crosses the stationary track, some of the sound field modes are focused, whereas other modes are defocused. It is demonstrated that the soliton parameters can be adequately determined from the frequency shifts of the sound field interference pattern. However, such an estimate of the soliton parameters is only possible for a limited length of the stationary track for which the effect of horizontal refraction is sufficiently weak.     

A New Lagrangian Asymptotic Solution for Gravity–Capillary Waves in Water of Finite Depth

A third-order Lagrangian asymptotic solution is derived for gravity–capillary waves in water of finite depth. The explicit parametric solution gives the trajectory of a water particle and the wave kinematics for Lagrangian points above the mean water level, and in a water column. The water particle orbits and mass transport velocity as functions of the surface tension are obtained. Some remarkable trajectories may contain one or multiple sub-loops for steep waves and large surface tension. Overall, an increase in surface tension tends to increase the motions of surface particles including the relative horizontal distance travelled by a particle as well as the time-averaged drift velocity     

Elastic plate as floating wave breaker in a beach zone

Wave propagation and damping mechanism due to elastic coating of the sea surface is considered. The hydrodynamic performance of an elastic plate is analyzed for various conditions in terms of wave reflection and transmission, plate deflection, and surface strain. Rigidity and geometrical scales of the coating plate essentially affect the wave transmission characteristics. The model of wave propagation and scattering is constructed in the long-wave approximation. The case of elastic plate with fixed edges is considered. It is shown that optimally designed horizontal flexible membrane can be a very effective wave barrier in a beach zone.     

External and internal flow fields of plunging breakers

This first stage of a laboratory study of the turbulent flow-field induced by wave-breaking involves the application of a flow-visualization technique from which external appearance and internal flow-structures of the surf zone have been examined. Plunging breakers were generated in a wave flume, whilst suitable light sources were deployed. To trace the water particle motion, fluorescent coatings in combination with suitable illuminating light sources, such as an Argon-Ion laser and ultraviolet lamps, were used. Whilst a particular light source was suitable for studying the water body in the surf zone, it might not be for studying particle motion in the air-bubble zone having a high concentration of air entrainment. It was found that the motion in the surf zone was highly three-dimensional with a dividing region formed beneath the impinging surface rollers, and that the breaking phenomenon was cyclic and deterministic in character.     

Beyond-limit light focusing in the intermediate zone

We experimentally verify that a new nanolens of a designed plasmonic aperture can focus visible light to a single line with its width smaller than the limit of half the wavelength in the intermediate zone. The experimental measurement indicates that while the near field plays a role to increase the spot size in the near zone, it is negligible at the beyond-limit focused region; i.e., the focused light is dominated by the radiative fields. The image taken by the optical microscope shows that the fields focused have propagated to the far zone. Besides being of academic interest, the nanolens capable in achieving a lower diffraction limit in the intermediate zone is important for application possibilities.     

Laboratory and modeling study on modulated wave properties

Development of Benjamin?Feir instability is investigated under laboratory conditions and by analytical modeling. Nonlinear properties of the wave train with discrete spectrum are also investigated. The mechanically generated waves are composed of several discrete waves, while the newly generated harmonics are still combined into discrete spectra with the same frequency step. The technique proposed in this study allows us to study accurately the nonlinear variations in main properties of each harmonic with fixed frequency, such as amplitude, phase speed, and wavenumber along the wave tank together with velocities of wave packet crests, especially for the large transient waves. The phase speeds of short waves increase near large transient waves, and the velocities of longer waves are close to the values determined by the linear theory of waves. The relative long wave accompanied by short waves can dramatically change the local kurtosis and skewness of the wave field. They may play an important role for the generation of large transient wave and provide an opportunity for triggering of the freak waves.     

Effect of internal waves on the sea surface in two-dimensional case

A nonlinear model of the interaction between internal and Stokes surface waves is considered. An internal wave (IW) is set in the form of a large-scale variable surface flow, directed at a certain angle to the surface-wave (SW) field. Wave interaction patterns are studied, and a comparison with the results of linear modulation model is performed. The dependence of the refraction-wave pattern on the main parameters of the problem (SW steepness, strength and direction of IW-induced flow, and the angle between the SW and IW) is investigated.