| Abstract: | The velocity field in breaking water waves is considered in this paper. A numerical simulation describes in detail the transition from a primary overturning and consequent rebounding jets into a bore front, where the vorticity in the coherent large‐scale eddy structures devolves into turbulence. Spatial changes in the frequency spectra of the kinetic energy and the enstrophy are associated with the production, transport and dissipation of the Reynolds stress and the various wave and turbulent mixing length scales. Mean velocity fields and the wave and kinetic energy in a surf zone are evaluated. Fourier and wavelet spectral analysis is applied to study both the surface elevation and energy changes, and the distinction that must be made between spilling and plunging breakers is clarified in this paper. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
