AASERT: Observation and Prediction of the Nonlinear Evolution of Shoaling Surface Gravity Waves

摘要

The two graduate students supported by this AASERT project completed their studies and were awarded PhDs. Dr. Barry Vanhoff received a PhD from Washington State University for his studies of techniques to simulate time series of nonlinear ocean surface waves. He showed that nonlinear interactions can lead to longer groups of high waves than expected from linear theory. Using data from ONR-supported field experiments, Dr. Vanhoff demonstrated that his simulation technique modeled wave groups observed in intermediate and shallow water. Dr. Edith Gallagher received a PhD from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography for her studies of nearshore morphology. She showed that during storms sand bars are driven offshore by transport of suspended sediment by strong mean cross-shore directed currents. As part of this ASSERT funding Dr. Gallagher helped develop a sonar altimeter for use in the surf zone that is being used by several research laboratories in the U.S. and in Europe.