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Surfing surface gravity waves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2017

Nick E. Pizzo Open the ORCID record for Nick E. Pizzo [Opens in a new window]
Nick E. Pizzo*
Affiliation:
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0213, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: npizzo@ucsd.edu
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Abstract

A simple criterion for water particles to surf an underlying surface gravity wave is presented. It is found that particles travelling near the phase speed of the wave, in a geometrically confined region on the forward face of the crest, increase in speed. The criterion is derived using the equation of John (Commun. Pure Appl. Maths, vol. 6, 1953, pp. 497–503) for the motion of a zero-stress free surface under the action of gravity. As an example, a breaking water wave is theoretically and numerically examined. Implications for upper-ocean processes, for both shallow- and deep-water waves, are discussed.

JFM classification

Geophysical and Geological Flows: Air/sea interactions Waves/Free-surface Flows: Surface gravity waves Waves/Free-surface Flows: Wave breaking
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 823 , 25 July 2017 , pp. 316 - 328
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Copyright
© 2017 Cambridge University Press 

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