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Area of Science:

  • Oceanography
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Wave Propagation

Background:

  • Surface gravity waves exhibit spatially inhomogeneous fields due to refraction.
  • The interaction between depth-induced and current-induced wave refraction is not well understood.
  • Accurate modeling of wave refraction is crucial for coastal engineering and remote sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To derive an analytical approximation for wave ray curvature considering both depth and current effects.
  • To quantify the individual and combined contributions of depth and current gradients to wave refraction.
  • To identify conditions where depth and current effects amplify or counteract each other.

Main Methods:

  • Derivation of an analytical approximation for wave ray curvature under weak current and slowly varying bathymetry assumptions.
  • Validation of the analytical approximation using an open-source ray tracing framework.
  • Analysis of limiting cases to understand the influence of current and depth gradients.

Main Results:

  • An approximation for wave ray curvature was derived as a linear superposition of current- and depth-induced components.
  • The study quantifies the contributions of each component to overall wave refraction.
  • Conditions influencing the amplification or cancellation of refraction effects were identified, along with dominant factors.

Conclusions:

  • The developed approximation provides physically resolved insights into wave propagation influenced by currents and bathymetry.
  • Findings are applicable to improving remote sensing data interpretation and coastal wave forecasting models.
  • This work enhances the understanding of complex wave-current-seabed interactions.