Field Observations of the Evolution of Plunging?Wave Shapes

There are few high-resolution field observations of the water surface during breaking owing to difficulty collecting spatially dense measurements in surf zone, and thus factors influencing breaking-wave shape conditions remain poorly understood. Here, evolution plunging breakers is analyzed quantitatively using three-dimensional scans collected at high spatial temporal resolution with a multi-beam terrestrial lidar scanner. The observed internal void shapes agree well previously developed theoretical onset breaking, become more elongated less steep as progresses. normalized area increases local bottom slope steepens depth decreases. becomes circular ratio wavelength increase, opposing winds.