Nonlinear ship wake waves as a model of rogue waves and a source of danger to the coastal environment: a review*

A substantial part of the energy of wake waves from high-speed ships sailing in shallow water is concentrated in nonlinear components which at times have a solitonic nature. Recent results of investigations into solitonic wave interactions within the framework of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation and their implications for rogue wave theory are reviewed. A surface elevation four times as high as the counterparts occurs if the properties of the interacting waves are specifically balanced. The slope of the water surface may increase eightfold. The resulting structure may persist for a long time. Nonlinear wake components may exert a considerable influence on the marine ecosystem in coastal areas.