Wave breaking and jet formation on axisymmetric surface gravity waves

Axisymmetric standing waves occur across a wide range of free surface flows. When these reach critical height (steepness), wave breaking and jet formation occur. For travelling gravity waves, is generally considered to limit reversible motion. In the ocean, behaviour directionally spread lies between limits purely (two dimensions) axisymmetric (three dimensions). Hence, understanding on an important step in extreme ocean. We examine example colloquially known as ‘spike wave’, created FloWave circular tank at University Edinburgh, UK. generate this spike with maximum crest amplitudes 0.15–6.0 m (0.024–0.98 when made non-dimensional by characteristic radius), occurring for greater than 1.0 (0.16 non-dimensionalised). Unlike two-dimensional does not amplitude, our measurements approximately follow scaling proposed Ghabache et al. ( J. Fluid Mech. , vol. 761, 2014, pp. 206–219) cavity collapse. The predominantly linear dispersive focusing. A trough forms, then collapses producing jet, which sensitive trough's shape. evolution jets that form experiments predicted well hyperbolic model Longuet–Higgins 127, 1983, 103–121), previously applied forming bubbles.