Large scale Vorticity generation due to dissipating waves in the surf zone.

Fabien Marche (1) , Philippe Bonneton (2) , Nicolas Bruneau (2, 3) , Bruno Castelle (2)

1 I3M - Institut de Mathématiques et de Modélisation de Montpellier
2 EPOC - Environnements et Paléoenvironnements OCéaniques
3 BRGM - Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières

In this paper, we investigate the mechanisms which control the generation of wave-induced mean current vorticity in the surf zone. From the vertically-integrated and time-averaged momentum equations given recently by Smith [21], we obtain a vorticity forcing term related to differential broken-wave energy dissipation. Then, we derive a new equation for the mean current vorticity, from the nonlinear shallow water shock-wave theory. Both approaches are consistent, under the shallow water assumption, but the later gives explicitly the generation term of vorticity, without any ad-hoc parametrization of the broken-wave energy dissipation.

Domaines: Analyse numérique [math.NA]; Océan, Atmosphère

Fabien Marche, Philippe Bonneton, Nicolas Bruneau, Bruno Castelle. Large scale Vorticity generation due to dissipating waves in the surf zone.. Discrete and Continuous Dynamical Systems - Series B, 2010, 13 (4), pp.729--738. ⟨10.3934/dcdsb.2010.13.729⟩. ⟨hal-00799086⟩