Dynamics of water waves over fringing coral reefs

This thesis reported a comprehensive study of the wave dynamics over fringing coral reefs, including laboratory experiments, numerical modeling and theoretical analyses. Two main sets of experiments were performed in a wave flume to measure the breaking-wave characteristics over an idealized fringin...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Yao, Yu
Other Authors: Stephen G. Monismith
Format: Theses and Dissertations
Language:English
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/48204
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
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Summary:This thesis reported a comprehensive study of the wave dynamics over fringing coral reefs, including laboratory experiments, numerical modeling and theoretical analyses. Two main sets of experiments were performed in a wave flume to measure the breaking-wave characteristics over an idealized fringing reef and to study the wave-induced setups and flows on a horizontal reef flat with and without an idealized ridge, respectively. A numerical study based on Boussinesq-type equations was presented, the numerical model was calibrated by our measurements and applied to investigate the cross-shore wave transformation and setup. Two analytical models were proposed to reproduce the wave setup in the absence/presence of the ridge: a kinematic model based on mass balance and some hydraulics, and a dynamic model based on cross-shore momentum balance and the radiation stress concept. Both models were validated against the experiments. The dynamic model was also applied to some field data.